This is a rare twist for Tom Cruise who plays a villain in this film, as opposed to the heroesque personas he normally portrays. His character, Vincent, is a hit man who has a major job in Los Angeles. To ensure he leaves no tracks he hires Max (Jamie Foxx), a quiet and remarkably honest cab driver to drive him around all night. He tells Max that he’s a real estate agent who needs to close several deals that evening (what realtor closes deals after nightfall? --but that's beside the point). Blissfully unaware of the real job that Vincent is out to complete, Max conveys his fare around the city. However, after a body falls onto his cab, he’s rudely awakened as to what he has just become an unwitting accomplice to. It seems that Vincent isn't the only one who is not what he says he is...Max, who has a dream of owning a limousine company that caters to the rich and famous, takes care of his ailing mother, who he visits faithfully every night. However, she believes that Max is indeed a successful proprietor of a car service and rubs elbows with music stars. She has no idea that he’s still just a lowly cabbie who barely pulls down enough per shift to get by, nor does she have any idea that she’s sitting next to a hired murderer, as she so proudly brags about her son’s accomplishments to Vincent. While Collateral is partly billed as an action film, the significance of the action takes place in the cab, where the two men debate each other about their lives, line of work, and criticize each other’s character. Collateral has a solid script and keeps you interested and in suspense. The cast, including Jada Pinkett-Smith and Mark Ruffalo, does a great job. Jamie Foxx stands out in particular because he takes on a serious, non-comedic role and does so with ease and fluency. Surprising, given his previous unpredictable roles in sketch comedy, stand-up specials, and marginal urban films. Although the final third of the film moves into the conventional cat-and-mouse mode, the pace is consistent and the ending, albeit unoriginal and clichéd, gives some enjoyable closure to the story. I personally wished that director Michael Mann would have gone out on a limb and done something unusual or out of the ordinary, but instead he just used a cookie cutter Hollywood ending to a film that was strong in all other respects. For this reason, I will give it a B+, but it’s a great movie and a refreshing change of pace for both Cruise and Foxx.
Grade: B+
Czarina's Caustic Comment or Captious Compliment: A viewing of Collateral pays a nice dividend.
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Based on a true story about the kidnapping of a Dutch industrialist, The Clearing is a story of how one man’s dream can become another man’s nightmare. Wayne Hayes (Robert Redford) has a great
life: a loving, dedicated wife, two wonderful children, a booming business, and a grand home in the affluent outskirts of Pittsburgh. Although things appear ideal from the outside, on the inside Wayne has
grown distant from his children and especially his wife, Eileen (Helen Mirren). He keeps a younger mistress (Wendy Crewson) on the side--a former employee who he helps support. One morning as he is
leaving for work, he is approached by Arnold (Willem Dafoe), another former employee, and after a brief conversation, he overpowers Wayne at gunpoint and abducts him to a wooded area. Arnold treks Wayne
through the forest to the location, a clearing in the woods, where the people who hired Arnold to abduct Wayne will be waiting. During the march, the two talk about their families, lives, work and their
successes and failures in each. Meanwhile, Eileen has involved the authorities and summoned her children for support. She must painfully reveal to FBI Agent Ray Fuller (Matt Craven) that she knew of her
husbands affair, but begs him not to tell her children (Alessandro Nivola and Melissa Sagemiller) of their father’s indiscretions.
Redford does an exceptional job as Wayne, and forgoes the
indulgences of make-up and a stylist…looking worn and aged for this role; something given his vanity, he does not normally allow. Willem Dafoe comes through in his usual style, and Craven was adequate for
his role, although a little too matter-of-fact. Helen Mirren gave the strongest of all performances, suffering with a quiet dignity and composure. She manages to keep her poise and self-control not only
when she finds out that her husband was still having an affair, but when she confronts his paramour for the juicy details. The movie builds anticipation slowly, letting you discover bit by bit about each
of the principal characters. As you learn more, your sympathies will slowly transfers from the prosperous Wayne to the destitute Arnold – or maybe not. The idea of the rich impresario being confronted by
the broke blue-collar worker is by no means original. However, Dafoe and Redford carry the conflict marvelously. Their chemistry was absolute. The ending of the film, which could have taken several
paths, will either surprise, shock, or disappoint—or perhaps all three. The movie moves in a unique time scale, as you see both stories unfolding, however, the time frames of each are not congruent.
The Clearing is not exactly a thriller, but more of a drama exploring the favor and flaws of people and relationships. More for the over 40 crowd, but mature minded 30-somethings may appreciate it
too.
Grade: B
Czarina's Caustic Comment or Captious Compliment: This is clearly one of Redford's better works.
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I, Robot was entertaining, although I expected a little more out of it, but I wasn’t disappointed by the film as a whole. The year is 2035 and the industry of robotics has made great strides and has integrated well into the world. This is much to the chagrin of Detective Del Spooner (Will Smith), a Chicago police officer who has an extreme dislike and suspicion for the ubiquitous bots who serve mankind in a variety of ways. Spooner is summoned to the headquarters of US Robotics, the leading manufacturer of robots, where Dr. Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell)—who wrote the laws governing the behavior of robots, has committed suicide. Spooner doesn’t believe the good doctor killed himself and suspects that a robot is behind his friend’s death. He soon learns that one of the robots, Sonny (voiced by Alan Tudyk: A Knight’s Tale), not only had a part in the doctor’s demise, but is not in compliance with the 3 laws governing robots, one of which is not to injure a human. As Spooner searches for answers, he meets with Dr. Calvin (Bridget Moynahan), a robot psychologist who seems to have the answer to everything, except what’s really happening with the robots. I, Robot had the potential to be more than your typical man-vs-machine tale, but it doesn’t go that way. It tries to redeem the spirit of the original work its final few moments, but in reality, it’s nothing more than a predictable story of a hero running recklessly about, causing destruction and endangering others in pursuit of a murky hunch, and then finally solves the mystery in time to save the city/mankind/earth from a colossal devastation. Will Smith, was basically playing the same character as he does in most of his movies; smart-assed and comedic in the delivery of his lines. Bridget Moynahan got on my nerves, as her character was too cold towards humans and seemed to be more concerned with the well-being of robots, even if it were at the detriment of humans. Tudyk’s personification of Sonny was touching and noticeably more human than Moynahan’s. I, Robot sported some wonderful CGI and moves a good pace. Despite the plot-holes and departure from the originating foundation, the film hits the spot for entertainment value.
Grade: B+
Note:The 3 Laws featured in the movie, were created by Issac Asimov, but he is not credited with it in the movie.
Czarina's Caustic Comment or Captious Compliment: Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto....er Smith.
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