"Cruise turns in perhaps his best performance, flashing his trademark smile just once behind his raggedy, greying stubble." Gabe Leibowitz ECINEMACENTER.COM "The real delight is soaking up Cruise's acting. He is terrific." Steve Rhodes STEVE RHODES' INTERNET REVIEWS "On paper, the plot for Collateral looks like it could be any one of a hundred summer action flicks -- but onscreen, it's one in a million." Staci Layne Wilson FANTASTICA DAILY "No director today, not even Martin Scorsese, matches Michael Mann's intensity or artistry when he examines how violence corrodes the soul." Jeffrey Westhoff NORTHWEST HERALD "With 'Collateral,' Michael Mann clearly demonstrates he's a master at creating almost perfect filmic pace and exquisite movie suspense." Betty Jo Tucker REELTALK MOVIE REVIEWS

"A compulsively watchable movie that takes what could have been a standard-issue thriller and makes it feel thrillingly alive..." Peter Sobczynski CRITIC DOCTOR "Tom Cruise is starring in another hit and, boy, does he look good - even with the white hair." Dan Marcucci and Nancy Serougi BROOMFIELD ENTERPRISE "Collateral is one enjoyable surprise after another." Chuck Schwartz CRANKY CRITIC® "A pure cinematic experience." Dennis Schwartz OZUS' WORLD MOVIE REVIEWS "A thing of lean, cool beauty, the movie's a killer showcase for Foxx and Cruise." Steve Murray ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION

At A Glance

"Cruise and Foxx are so good together because they allow the two characters to get under each other's skin. They're buddies and enemies at the same time." Owen Gleiberman ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

It goes without saying that Director Michael Mann has a huge reputation and a large following amongst theatregoers and why not? With three Academy Award nominations in the categories of Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay and having brought us films such as "Manhunter, "The Last of the Mohicans" and "The Insider" Mann has an awesome reputation. And that reputation doesn't end with the big screen. Mann is also known for his work on the small screen too with shows like Miami Vice and Crime Story and the EMMY Award winning miniseries Drug Wars: The Camarena Story. For many, it will come as no surprise, that Mann, whose career started in 1970 with the critically acclaimed, award winning short film "Jaunpuri", has once again pulled a rabbit out of the hat with is another classy production, "Collateral". A film set in Los Angeles and made all the more edgy by the fact that it takes place over one night. So what was it that attracted Mann to helm the project? "One of the things that attracted me to the project was the compression of time," he explains, noting, "it all happens in one night. The whole story takes place between six pm and about four am in this PacRim-diverse and most contemporary of American cities, where coyotes roam the streets as if the layer of civilization is new and temporary. That’s the world I wanted Max and Vincent moving through as the story unfolds." And the drama revolves around two men from entirely different social and economic backgrounds, whose lives are about be changed forever? "This is the collision of two lives in very extreme circumstances," Mann says. "It is a compression of all they have been and who they think they might be, all collapsed into the events of one night." And that basically comes about because? "An offshore narcotrafficking cartel has discovered that some of their operatives are about to be indicted in Los Angeles. They mount an operation to stop these indictments by killing the five key witnesses. Understand, they are very large and have an unlimited budget, so they can buy the best people available to get the job done…people like Vincent. They probably spent months setting up this operation; all the prep work has been done. Now it’s just a matter of carrying it out…and tonight Vincent comes to town to do exactly that." And Max is unwittingly just a pawn in the operation Vincent has planned for that night. "Unforeseen circumstances compel him to have to improvise and he winds up taking a hostage," notes Mann. "A cab driver named Max." Screenwriter Stuart Beattie, who penned the script for "Collateral" elaborates. "Max becomes a hostage in his own cab as Vincent makes him drive to the places where these hits will be carried out." And it then becomes a real cat and mouse situation, a film driven by both mens desire to survive the night? The guts of the story is these two characters are in what becomes very much a mano y mano game of cat and mouse," Beattie said. Surprisingly, the Australian born screenwriter, who moved to the USA so that he could pursue a writing career, reveals "it wasn’t the idea of going inside the mind of a contract killer that first inspired the script for "Collateral." Rather," he says, "it was the day to day risks of being an ordinary, everyday cab driver." And when did the idea first arise? "It came from my own experience of taking a cab back from the airport one day," he recalls. "I started talking with the cabbie, and by the time I got home, we were chatting like old friends. Suddenly it occurred to me that I could be anybody and the driver would have no idea. I could be some homicidal maniac and he has his back to me the whole time. It struck me as being a potentially interesting setting for a drama, where you have two complete strangers sitting, one with his back to the other, in an enclosed space, totally alone. And it just grew from there." What makes Beattie's idea and subsequent script come to life is the films stars, headed up by the best performance from Tom Cruise since those halcyon days when he appeared in films such as, "Risky Business", "Top Gun", "Born on the Fourth of July" and "Jerry Maguire". How did Tom feel about playing the cold blooded, ruthless Vincent? "I’ve played heroes and antiheroes, and I thought Vincent was just a great character," he said. Very dynamic. I wanted to explore the character and get an understanding of him, particularly because he’s demonstrating some seriously antisocial behavior,” he laughs. “One of the first things I try to do is find the character’s moral code because, whether you agree with them or not, people have their own moral codes. Vincent was hired to do a job and it would be a breach of his moral code not to do it. He’s an absolute professional. I looked at it from that point of view, getting into the character." Mann was certainly impressed with Tom's portrayal of Vincent stating, "Vincent is a character unlike any Tom has played before, and there was an element of risk for him to do this role. There is a power and an authority within Tom that I wanted to see come out in this character. You can see it, even through Vincent’s elegant appearance. You realize, soon, he is rough trade in a good suit." So whose idea was it for the image of Vincent, the salt and pepper look? "Michael came up with the whole visual design of the character—the hair, the beard, the suit," says Cruise. "We worked it out on the computer first and Michael’s eye is incredible. I just loved working with him; he was so absolutely thorough." But there's no Vincent without a Max, is there? That role went to a man noted for being a comedian, standup comedy actor Jamie Foxx. Michael Mann say he was the "perfect casting for the role of Max," noting, "Jamie is truly 'a man for all seasons'; he is a phenomenal talent; just a brilliant actor. The film is not even remotely comical, but there are scenes with Jamie and Tom that are devastatingly funny. Nobody knows how to carry those moments with the kind of precision needed better than Jamie Foxx." And there's big chemistry between the two onscreen. That must contribute a lot to the success of the finished product? Mann says it, "had to do with the chemistry of Jamie and Tom together, though their characters are total opposites. Max is middle class. He’s an everyman character. He has conventional values, believes in civic duty and has humanitarian impulses." He has never seen a violent crime in his entire life." And for all that? "He winds up with a stone cold sociopath in his back seat." "Collateral"is a dark thrilling, edge of the seat drama that will both surprise and reward those who see it. Crew Bytes "Collateral" was .......
directed by Paul Selvin Award and EMMY Award winner Michael Mann ["Thief", "Manhunter", "Ali" and "The Insider"]; screenplay by Diane Thomas Screenwriting Award winner Stuart Beattie ["Joey", "Kick", "30 Days of Night" and "Pirates of the Caribbean"]; costume design by BAFTA Award winner Jeffrey Kurland ["Radio Days", "Erin Brockovich", "Ocean's Eleven" and "Hildago"]; edited by Jim Miller ["Wild Wild West", "The Addams Family", "Agent Cody Banks" and "Men In Black"] and EDDIE Award winner Paul Rubell ["Blade", "The Cell", "XXX" and "The Insider"]; directors of photograhpy Two Time AFI Award and Byron Kennedy Award winner Dion Beebe ["The Goddess of 1967", "Eternity", "Charlotte Grey" and "Chicago"] and Paul Cameron ["The Last Supper", "Swordfish", "Gone In Sixty Seconds" and "Man On Fire"]; original music by EMMY Award winning composer James Newton Howard ["Pretty Woman", "Runaway Bride", "My Best Friends Wedding" and "America's Sweethearts"] produced by Julie Richardson ["Collateral"]; executive produced by Frank Darabont ["The Shawshank Redemption", "Tales From The Crypt", "The Green Mile" and "The Majestic"], Academy Award winner Rob Fried ["Session Man", "Rudy" and "So I Married An Axe Murderer"]. Chuck Russell ["Girls Just Want To Have Fun", "Back To School", "The Mask" and "Eraser"] and Peter Giuliano ["Sphere", "Sleepers", "Disclosure" and TV's "Law & Order"]; production designed by David Wasco ["Pulp Fiction", "Reservoir Dogs", "Kill Bill Vol 1" and "Kill Bill Vol 2"] Casting About "Collateral" stars .......
EMMA Award wiiner, Golden Globe Award winner Tom Cruise ["Risky Business", "Rain Man", "A few Good Men" and "The Last Samurai"]; IMAGE Award winner Jamie Foxx ["Any Given Sunday", "Ali", "Redemption" and "Breakin' All The Rules"]; Jada Pinkett Smith ["Return To Paradise", "Scream 2", "The Inkwell" and "Ali"]; Lucille Lortel Award winner Mark Ruffalo ["You Can Count On Me", "View From The Top", "In The Cut", "My Life Without Me" and "30 Something"]; Peter Berg ["Very Bad Thing", "Cop Land", "The Last Seduction" and "Welcome To The Jungle"]; Bruce McGill ["Matchstick Men", "The Sum Of All Fears", "My Cousin Vinny" and "Runaway Jury"]; Irma P Hall ["Book of Numbers", "Patch Adams", "A Lesson Before Dying" and "The Lady Killers"] and Barry Shabaka Henley ["Bulworth", "Rush Hour", "Patch Adams", "Ali" and "The Terminal"] as Daniel. The Story

"This is a rare thriller that's as much character study as sound and fury." Roger Ebert CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

Max is a taxi driver with dreams. Life has been pretty ordinary over the last twelve years except for the dream. The dream that with a lot of hard work and a little luck he'll realize his ambition and operate his own specialized limo fleet. So far, his night is off to a good start. His first fare was a smart, articulate young lady. He's in high spirits. Until Vincent hires his cab. Max knows he's not allowed to hire out all night but what the heck, he could use the money, and Vincent looks the business man. What Max doesn't know is that Vincent is a hitman. In town for one night, it's Vincent's job to kill the key witnesses and the prosecutor before his clients are indicted by a Federal Grand Jury headed up by Max's last passenger, US Attorney Annie Farrell. Like the winesses, Max soon realizes that he too is expendable. As Vincent goes about his business, Max frantically tries to find a way out of the mess he's in. The Verdict "What do you get when you put a classy screenplay with a classy cast, add a classy crew and a director with oodles of talent? A classy, highly entertaining film. "Collateral" is one of the classiest thrillers in years. Probably the best work seen from Tom Cruise since those halcyon days of "Risky Business", "Top Gun" and Jerry Maguire". Will it lead to another Oscar nomination? Classy, enthralling, thriller worthy of your attention. If character driven, edgy thrillers are your genre then "Collateral" is a film easy to recommended." The Cast

Tom Cruise Jamie Foxx Jada Pinkett Smith Mark Ruffalo Peter Berg Bruce McGill Irma P Hall Barry Shabaka Henley Klea Scott Wade Andrew Williams Paul Adelstein Javier Bardem Emilio Rivera Jamie McBride Ken Ver Cammen Charlie E Schmidt Jr Michael A Bentt Ian Hannin Robert Deamer t David Mersault Anthony Ochoa Omar Orozco Edgar Sánchez Cosme Urquiola Thomas Rosales Jr Jessica Ferrarone Troy Blendell Inmo Howard Bachrach Chic Daniel

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Vincent Max Annie Fanning Richard Weidner Pedrosa Ida Daniel Fed #1 Fed #2 Fed #3 Felix Paco Traffic Cop FBI Agent FBI Agent Fever Bouncer Cell Phone Partier Sergeant Crime Scene Cop Crime Scene Cop El Rodeo Doorman El Rodeo Doorman El Rodeo Doorman Ramone Female Criminalist Morgue Attendant Peter Yip Pissed Off Driver Plainclothes Cop

The Crew Directed by Michael Mann Written by Stuart Beattie Produced by Michael Mann & Julie Richardson Original Music by James Newton Howard Cinematography by Dion Beebe & Paul Cameron Film Editing by Jim Miller & Paul Rubell Casting by Francine Maisler Production Design by David Wasco Art Direction by Daniel T Dorrance Set Decoration by Sandy Reynolds-Wasco Costume Design by Jeffrey Kurland Production Manager Marie Cantin Unit Production Manager Julie Herrin Run Time 120 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2004 - DreamWorks - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected © 2004 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved