It's rare to see Tom Cruise playing the bad guy, which is a shame because he does a great job of it in Michael Mann's Collateral. Up-and-coming movie star Jamie Foxx also grabbed the world's attention in this "slick, stylish thriller" about a coy LA cabbie forced to drive a hitman from one execution to the next over the course of one night. With its blend of intelligent character drama and visceral thrills, it scored highly with both critics and moviegoers.
In The Driving Seat
A 40-minute Making Of documentary is unusually thorough by allowing an inside look at the actors' preparations for their roles, or what Tom Cruise calls "getting into the zone". Video footage finds him unloading clips at the firing range and receiving combat training from ex-SAS men. Meanwhile Michael Mann joins Jamie Foxx racing old cars in the desert to get a handle on those high-octane chase sequences.
Evidently the project holds some nostalgia value for Mann who explains, "I drove a cab, my father drove a cab and my grandfather had a cab company." He talks about more about this in an eye-opening audio commentary where he also reveals that he shot 85% of the film in high definition video before transferring it to celluloid. There's additional commentary for one deleted scene; a classic chase sequence involving a police chopper that was ultimately cut for pace.
In Shooting On Location we're treated to behind-the-scenes footage of The Cruiser stalking Jada Pinkett Smith's character while Mann explains the logistics and dramatic intention behind shooting in the dark. Similarly the Visual Effects featurette deconstructs the climactic scenes aboard a train as it shuttles through a digitised LA. Although these offer a window into the process of production, they are frustratingly short at just two minutes each.
Delivering The Goods
Perhaps the most bizarre but compelling featurette ever committed to DVD is Special Delivery. It's secretly filmed video of Tom Cruise posing as a Fed-Ex delivery guy in downtown LA just to convince Mann that he can be "the invisible man" needed to play Vincent. You'll be agape with amazement as - with just a uniform for disguise - he chatters away to unwitting Angelinos without blowing his cover. Conversely TC and Jamie Foxx lay themselves bare in video rehearsals at Mann's office. Script in hand, they act out three major scenes in what is a rare opportunity to see A-List movie actors just trying to get it right.
Five Easter eggs offering more behind-the-scenes tidbits are scattered across two discs. The best of these explains the changing dynamic between the two leads according to where Cruise is seated in the cab eg he sits directly behind Foxx for their most intimate exchange, blocking his line of fire and therefore making him vulnerable. It's this loving attention to detail and unguarded access to the film's stars that makes Collateral: Collector's Edition a sure-fire hit.
EXTRA FEATURES
ONLY AVAIALBLE ON DISC TWO OF COLLECTOR'S EDITION:
