Los Angeles is nicknamed the City of Angels but at times it

is also referred to as Hell-A. In Michael Mann's new thriller, "Collateral," which

stars Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx, L.A. is shown to be at times

hauntingly beautiful and nightmarishly dark. It is a place where

people have big dreams, some even coming true, but it is also

a place where people can feel very disconnected from one another,

despite sharing the area with millions of other people. By having

cab driver Max (Foxx) and hired gun Vincent (Cruise) traveling

in both of these worlds in the film, Mann takes viewers on a

wild ride where things can change very quickly.

Max has been "temporarily" working as a cab driver

for 12 years. Vincent is a hit man who has five "jobs" to

complete in one night and Max's cab just happens to be the

one he gets into. Max learns about Vincent's career early

on and, though he tries to escape or get help on numerous occasions,

he is dragged along to all of Vincent's stops. Both Foxx

and Cruise do great work in the film and they have a lot to work

with thanks to the script by Stuart Beattie, which keeps things

moving briskly. The supporting cast is also very good, including

a barely recognizable Mark Ruffalo and a solid performance from

Jada Pinkett-Smith.

The real star of the movie is Los Angeles, which Mann films

beautifully. Instead of seeing the same old images of Hollywood

or sun, sand and surf, Mann shows the audience the city that

few people ever see or really look at. There are many beautiful

shots in the film and at times it feels as if the audience is

also on a cab ride through the non-traditional stops in Los Angeles,

watching ghostly palm trees sway in the breeze or witnessing

a coyote amble across the street. Mann also knows how and when

to ratchet up the intensity and there are several scenes in the

film that keep you on the edge of your seat.

"Collateral" is an above average crime-thriller and

only a few, tiny, nagging details kept it from being even better.

However, I can't reveal the details without spoiling the

ending. I do recommend seeing this film though and there may

not be a better thriller without aliens or Predators coming out

this year.

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