Tom Cruise is Hollywood’s final film star. Not like most of his contemporaries, Cruise nonetheless champions the theatrical launch, headlining motion pictures designed to be seen on the large display. Even Cruise’s contemporaries, like Leonardo DiCaprio, Denzel Washington, and Tom Hanks, have embraced streaming. The identical can’t be stated for Cruise, who famously delayed High Gun: Maverick because of the COVID pandemic to maintain its theatrical launch, a threat that paid off to the tune of almost $1.5 billion worldwide.
All through the twenty first century, Cruise’s expertise has by no means wavered. He’s a four-time Academy Award nominee with a steadfast dedication to his craft that continues to be unmatched. But, Cruise has performed inside the action-hero sandbox for the final 15 years, not often stepping exterior to work in different genres. As nice as Cruise has been taking part in Ethan Hunt within the Mission: Unimaginable movies and Pete Mitchell in High Gun: Maverick, his memorable flip because the villain in Michael Mann‘s Collateral, which celebrates its twentieth anniversary on August 6, is his finest efficiency of the twenty first century.
Tom Cruise thrives as a villain
Set over one fateful Los Angeles evening, Collateral stars Jamie Foxx as Max Durocher, a cab driver working to avoid wasting sufficient cash to start out a limousine firm. Whereas on the job, Max picks up Vincent (Cruise), who says he’s on the town to finish an actual property deal and pays large cash to drive him to a number of areas. After a useless physique lands on the automobile on the first cease, Vincent’s true intentions are revealed. He’s a success man employed by a drug lord who should get rid of 5 targets in a single evening. Vincent holds Max hostage and forces him to drive him round to every killing. Max is aware of he’s useless on the finish of the evening, so he spends many of the evening pondering how he’s going to flee this lethal state of affairs.
As quickly as Cruise steps into the body, he’s fully totally different than what followers are used to seeing. Salt-and-pepper hair and a stone-cold look, devoid of any regret, substitute Cruise’s black hair and signature grin. Cruise sometimes saves the day because the hero, however Mann turns the High Gun star right into a villainous monster who strikes worry into anybody who seems him within the eyes. Vincent is a cold-blooded cyborg with no redeeming qualities, a far cry from Ethan Hunt or Peter “Maverick” Mitchell. It stays considered one of Cruise’s solely villainous turns in his profession.
Frankly, I used to be offered on Cruise as a villain when he delivered the “Yo homie, is that my briefcase?” line earlier than mowing down two criminals in an alley. For as critically as Cruise takes himself, his referring to somebody as his “homie” stays one of the best type of unintentional comedy.
Foxx, Mann are excellent matches for Cruise’s abilities
Most of Cruise’s motion pictures within the twenty first century have been constructed round his identify and on his again. That doesn’t imply the supporting ensembles are weak. The casts help Cruise, as nothing seems like a two-hander. The movies at all times do not forget that Cruise is Batman and the forged is Robin. That couldn’t be farther from the reality in Collateral. Max, not Vincent, is the hero of the movie.
Vincent antagonizes Max to face up for himself and take issues into his personal arms, which is how he escapes the hit man’s wrath. Vincent wants Max, and oddly sufficient, Max wants Vincent. It’s an incredible instance of the right Cruise co-star — a assured actor who rises to the event. Foxx deserved his Oscar nomination for Collateral, although Cruise being disregarded of the sphere is prison.
Like Foxx, Mann brings out one of the best elements of Cruise’s core beliefs — laborious work, dedication, and obsession with a craft. Most Cruise movies put the actor on the hero’s journey, whereas Mann doesn’t enable that to occur. Lots of Mann’s characters are meticulous and dedicated. Neil McCauley in Heat and Frank in Thief are earlier Mann protagonists who’re ultra-masculine and dwell by a code they’re keen to die for. Vincent is identical method, although his code has no redeeming qualities. Vincent believes in his work and by no means abandons his beliefs. Mann and Cruise are conscientious perfectionists, making for the final word pairing of sensational abilities.
It’s considered one of Tom Cruise’s final roles in an auteur-driven challenge
For almost the primary three a long time of Cruise’s profession, the actor incessantly sought auteur-driven initiatives with a few of Hollywood’s biggest filmmakers. Cruise labored with Oliver Stone, Sydney Pollack, Brian De Palma, Paul Thomas Anderson, Steven Spielberg, and Stanley Kubrick.
Within the late 2000s, Cruise shifted his profession towards studio tentpoles and IP-driven autos, together with Jack Reacher, The Mummy, Top Gun: Maverick, and a number of Mission: Unimaginable motion pictures. That’s not a shot at a few of these movies’ high quality. Mission: Unimaginable – Fallout is arguably Cruise’s finest motion movie ever, whereas High Gun: Maverick offered considered one of 2022’s finest cinematic experiences.
Cruise can nonetheless make these blockbusters with death-defying stunts. Nonetheless, it could be good for him to combine in a Collateral in between a halo soar and bike cliff sequence. Cruise really needs to do some of these initiatives sooner or later, as evidenced by his determination to star within the subsequent movie from Oscar winner Alejandro Iñárritu. When challenged as an actor, like in Collateral, Cruise proves why he’s probably the greatest within the enterprise.
Collateral is streaming at no cost on Pluto TV.
