What is “collateral”? While I see the movie, the question was twirling in my head. A synopsis is very simple. Just killing people and preventing last murder. There is no reason why Vincent(Tom Cruise) kills people(surely he was asked to kill, but that is so superficial answer). A director puts an importance on the procedure of killing and illuminates gun shot scenes. The director of this movie is famous-Michael Mann. In his other movie “heat”, he showed me dazzling camera walk and well plotted story with a fantastic gun shot scenes. Despite a long running time, it’s nearly 180 minutes, heat was not tedious. It’s so exciting like riding a roller-coaster.
But Collateral is not exciting. It’s routine and sleepy except some action scenes. It loosened the entire story of a movie, climax is like a running-vapid beer. In this movie, many Koreans showed up and the boss of Korean gang is Vincent’s premiere target. In an original version, Korean boss shouts his man, “Kill him” in Korean. But this part is erased for preventing Korean spectator’s hostility. But anyone who saw a movie could know about the fact Korean and Hispanic seem to be a source of an evil and even I was occurred into my head that we are a primarily crime-related ethnic group in L.A.
Movie starts from the conventional scene that two boys intentionally exchange each other’s bag. And next scene shows a taxi – very important mediator. And I got a clue why a movie title is “collateral”. Finally a taxi became a means of crime that carries a killer to the place where next killing will be done. A taxi driver, Max also inevitably was involved into murder.
Like Vincent’s saying, “There is no option for you.” Max passively helped Vincent keep murdering people. But he changed his position abruptly. I didn’t understand his sudden bravery though he had a good feeling for a pretty prosecutor. A newspaper review about this movie is incredibly good. But I and my friends get to a consensus that this movie is so tiresome. I don’t want to recommend this movie.