The theater was full the evening I saw this movie. This was a good sign after two weeks in release.
I've always liked Michael Mann's style of film making. His movies seem to have a more real or raw feel than the usual Hollywood fare to me. Collateral is no exception. Shot almost entirely with handheld cameras and available lighting, he conveyed a sense of reality and a genuinely tense mood without ever reverting to explicit violence. Then again, perhaps when you hire Tom Cruise to star, maybe you can't afford fake blood in the budget.
One scene especially struck me. Set in a completely dark office building, Mann didn't resort to conveniently placed lighting to illuminate the characters. Seeing the actors moving only as shadows against the distant city lights only served heighten the degree of anxiety in an already tense scene.
I think this was the first time I’ve seen Tom Cruise playing a bad guy, but he did a great job. Jamie Foxx again turned in a solid performance as the taxi driver pushed into extraordinary circumstances. For a guy with roots in comedy, he's impressed me lately in his quality dramatic performances.
In short, I liked the movie on a number of levels and highly recommend it.
Rotten Tomatoes: 85%