Collateral
Release Date:
August 6, 2004
On the Big Board |
| Position |
Staff |
In Brief |
| 1/55 |
Reagen Sulewski |
Michael Mann's best film to date, and that's saying a lot. A brilliant and moody thriller. |
| 5/92 |
David Mumpower |
The best original screenplay of 2004 thus far. |
| 10/48 |
Les Winan |
Tom Cruise needs to only play evil characters. Well made, interesting warning to the acting world of Jamie Foxx's impending arrival. |
| 12/126 |
Kim Hollis |
Stylish as a Mann film should be, but also has the substance to back it up. |
| 77/133 |
Dan Krovich |
Well made and well acted, but existential tale just didn't grab me |
Collateral tells the story of an LA cab driver who finds himself involved in something more than transit when what starts as a routine fare turns into the forcible chauffeuring of a contract killer to a series of hits. As the ride progresses, the cabbie realizes the killer is systematically eliminating witnesses to his crimes, and if the taxi driver wants to survive the fare, he will need to find a way to stop the hit-man. And soon.
Collateral’s success or failure will hinge largely on two things: Whether audiences will believe Tom Cruise as a hit-man, and whether they buy the relationship between Cruise’s killer and Jamie Foxx, who will play the cabbie. Since the majority of the film will focus on the interaction between these two, the chemistry between Cruise and Foxx will be key. As for Cruise as an out-and-out villain, something he has rarely portrayed, the prognosis is somewhat murky. A lot will depend on how much of the Tom Cruise hail-fellow-well-met persona is incorporated into the role, but it is interesting to note that the films in which Cruise has assayed a less-than-pleasant character have consistently underperformed at the box office.
On the other hand, having a more “human” hit-man, while it may play more to Cruise’s strengths and audiences' expectations, would also undercut the dramatic tension of the cabbie’s dilemma, something that could easily scuttle the plotline. It will be interesting to note the direction taken by the filmmakers as the project progresses.(Stephanie Star Smith/BOP)
September 4, 2003
Jada Pinkett Smith is in negotiations to star as Jamie Foxx's girlfriend. (Gotta say, normally when your agent calls and says "I've got you up for a role as Jamie Foxx's love interest" you gotta figure either your career is in trouble or your agent hates you. However, this being a Tom Cruise/Michael Mann project, Jada's apparently willing to make some sacrifices. (Jennifer Turnock/BOP)
October 14, 2003
BOP favorite Mark Ruffalo (if you haven't seen You Can Count on Me, you need to turn off the computer and get thee to a video store) is in talks to step into the hole left by Val Kilmer's departure. (Jennifer Turnock/BOP)
Comparison films for Collateral |
Title |
Date |
Opening |
Adjusted Opening |
Screens |
PSA |
Adj PSA |
Total BO |
Adjusted Total |
Mult |
| Jackie Brown |
12/26/97 | 9.01 |
11.83 |
1370 |
6577.00 |
8310.8 |
39.67 |
52.11 |
3.08 |
| Heat |
12/15/95 | 8.45 |
11.71 |
1325 |
6377.00 |
8502.7 |
67.40 |
93.42 |
7.98 |
| Bait |
9/15/00 | 5.49 |
6.14 |
2352 |
2334.00 |
2511.5 |
15.09 |
16.88 |
2.75 |
| L.A. Confidential |
9/19/97 | 5.21 |
6.84 |
769 |
6775.00 |
8561.0 |
64.62 |
84.89 |
12.40 |
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