i am actually looking forward to "collateral"

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I loved the feel of the movie, which seemed disconnected from the actual plot or characters. It's like he wanted to make a VH1 nu-metal Koyaanisqatsi, but he got stuck in a thriller with Tom Cruise instead and couldn't quite get out. There was way more vim and voom and drama in the helicopter tracking shots and the plate-glass panoramas than in the story per se. (Do all his movies have huge plate-glass windows? I guess Last of the Mohicans didn't.) Tom Cruise seemed kind of out of focus and blurry to me, all the way through the movie. I almost prefer to think of him as an imaginary character that Jamie Foxx spends the night arguing with before finally deciding to call the girl.

Anyway, I went to see it because I love the way his movies look on a big screen. I wasn't disappointed. His movies are like giant video installations, and it was way cooler than anything I saw at the Whitney Biennial.

spittle (spittle), Thursday, 12 August 2004 03:07 (nineteen years ago) link

I almost prefer to think of him as an imaginary character that Jamie Foxx spends the night arguing with before finally deciding to call the girl.

whoa. lop off the last 30 minutes and the film could easily have gone this route.

spittle, you are cool..

|a|m|t|r|s|t| (amateurist), Thursday, 12 August 2004 03:11 (nineteen years ago) link

The only bad shot of the film was when Cruise throws a chair through the plate glass window and jumps through. For an instant it looked like bad mini-DV.

miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Thursday, 12 August 2004 03:16 (nineteen years ago) link

no that shot was great b/c cruise trips over a chair after he blasts through the window. it's like the horse slipping on the ice in alexander nevsky.

|a|m|t|r|s|t| (amateurist), Thursday, 12 August 2004 03:17 (nineteen years ago) link

(shucks...) (x-post)

Vincent was just such a weird character, wasn't he? And the way no one in the office building at the beginning or in the hospital reacts at all to this silver-suited dude wearing shades indoors after dark? He was like the most conspicuous hitman ever. But then he wants to be all "anonymous", and has the whole riff about the guy dying on the train and no one even noticing, as if there's anything remotely overlookable about him. But I guess that's what Edelstein got at with that line about the lonely man in the great suit.

spittle (spittle), Thursday, 12 August 2004 03:23 (nineteen years ago) link

wow, what a pretty movie. the helicopter! everyone has been right on about this, i had a smile on thru the whole thing...but i still don't know why vincent didn't just rent a car.

spittle, it's funny that you say vincent = imaginary; the other day there was some cruise bio thing on E, and i started cracking up at the thought that he was delivering his interviews to noone, just an empty room with a camera, for hours. there's something abt cruise that invites that kind of dislocation.

i liked the shootout at the club even tho i could feel the movie heading south during and after; cruise (even if he doesn't 'get' his character the way welles got harry lime) does understand the kinetics of that kind of thing. his chilly gunhandling was fantastic.

g--ff (gcannon), Thursday, 12 August 2004 04:26 (nineteen years ago) link

even if he doesn't 'get' his character the way welles got harry lime

Actually, I liked that about the character. He *doesn't* get it, not completely. He's ex-special forces, not a natural, charming philosopher like Lime. He's resigned himself to the fact that killing is his job, but in several scenes, it's made clear that he's not at peace with it.

Harold Media (kenan), Thursday, 12 August 2004 04:31 (nineteen years ago) link

yeah, my absolute favorite line was the throwaway answer to "how long you been doin this?":

"private sector? six years"

g--ff (gcannon), Thursday, 12 August 2004 04:35 (nineteen years ago) link

Am I not allowed to post here if I found the generic final shootout was the best part of the film?

Mr. Tony Plow (Leee), Thursday, 12 August 2004 21:47 (nineteen years ago) link

How? It was Die Really Hard With A Vengeance, minus the good things about Die Hard (Willis's humor, OTT German villains, later on Samuel L)

miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Thursday, 12 August 2004 22:06 (nineteen years ago) link

The problems I had with the first half of the film was its self-consciousness as a Mann film -- lots of pretty shots, lots of shots sitting on a character's shoulder aimed at his ear, etc. Coupled with the inconsistent characterizations (during the Jazzman sequence, Jamie was visibly enjoying himself -- hello he's on a hit) in addition to the confabulated plot, the film kept me at arm's length. "Hey, I'm watching a Michael Mann film! Awesome!" Except I was kind of bored of it as a narrative.

And while the blacked out building is illogical (though, no more than anything that precedes it), it (including the subsequent train chase) disposes with the plot irregularities in favor of pure mood, and, further, it's exquisitely brought off -- there's no musical score to distract from the level of suspense. And TC (or a stuntman) bailing on the window-thrown chair. That counts for something.

Mr. Tony Plow (Leee), Thursday, 12 August 2004 22:15 (nineteen years ago) link

andrew sarris: http://www.observer.com/pages/movies.asp

amateur!!!st, Monday, 16 August 2004 15:35 (nineteen years ago) link

even if he doesn't 'get' his character the way welles got harry lime

i don't think i mean this.

g--ff (gcannon), Monday, 16 August 2004 17:12 (nineteen years ago) link

i'm an incoherent dullard as usual... but aren't super action movie gun skillz just BETTER at doing the Stylish Amoral Guy than some monologues about cuckoo clocks? not that victor didn't have that element, too. harry lime was this string-pulling administrator of bad shit, victor IS the thing.

g--ff (gcannon), Monday, 16 August 2004 17:45 (nineteen years ago) link

two months pass...
this movie was awesome and all the haetrs are wrong. the most impresive thing technicaly was the scene where javier bardem tells his mexican santa claus story (that bit was needlessly tarantionoesque. just as the bodyguard totign two guns in the nihgtclub was needlessly wooesque. and the axe-to-the-power-line scene was too "die hard" - how did vincent know where the main lien was? he didnt have a plan of the building, did he? anyway. minor quibbles. bardem, santa claus) and the camera does NOT do that anoying slow zoom in that is usualy done in long dialog takes BUT INSTEAD does a number of tiny little quick zoom ins! simulatign blood pulsing behing the viewers eyeballs. and thus visualizing foxxes rising adrenaline level. the overdone camera gimick of the future, seen here first!

:|, Wednesday, 20 October 2004 09:35 (nineteen years ago) link

hmmm i trying to remember what you're talking about specifically (i remember the scene). what you describe just sounds like classic doc-style Homicide Life On the Street re-framing?

You've Got to Pick Up Every Stitch (tracerhand), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 10:39 (nineteen years ago) link

Does the camera actually zoom in, or just cut back and forth, and each cut to Jamie Foxx is more close-up each time?

Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 10:43 (nineteen years ago) link

what you describe just sounds like classic doc-style Homicide Life On the Street re-framing?

i dont know, ive maybe seen half an episode of homicide in my life. but if you mean the faux-amateurish hand camera style, constantly zooming in and out and moving around, thats not it. its one long take, the camera is fixed on bardiem and the zoom-ins are microscopic, hardly noticable. crosspost.

:|, Wednesday, 20 October 2004 10:52 (nineteen years ago) link

ive maybe seen half an episode of homicide in my life

DVDs. Rent 'em. Seriously.

Lifted, or, the story is 'neath my ass (kenan), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 14:57 (nineteen years ago) link

two months pass...
The nightclub shoot-out was really well done and had something ever-so-slightly Manga/Anime-ish about it.

We kept thinking it'd end up like Se7en where Max phones up Jada Pinkett Smith right at the end only to discover that Vincent had killed her right at the beginning of the movie and they'd been driving around LA all night without him finding out.

James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Tuesday, 28 December 2004 04:05 (nineteen years ago) link

And the fat cop who got shot in the leg was the spooky bartender/God guy from the last-ever episode of Quantum Leap, that had me puzzled over who it was for a good few minutes.

James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Tuesday, 28 December 2004 04:07 (nineteen years ago) link

so, uh, i never saw this.

s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 28 December 2004 05:03 (nineteen years ago) link

It's great!!!

jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 28 December 2004 05:18 (nineteen years ago) link

i am actually still looking forward to "collateral"

s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 28 December 2004 05:26 (nineteen years ago) link

"The nightclub shoot-out was really well done and had something ever-so-slightly Manga/Anime-ish about it."

i get that weird Japanese vibe from all of Mann's post-HEAT stuff. No clue as to why.

AIDS BENEDICT (Adrian Langston), Tuesday, 28 December 2004 05:52 (nineteen years ago) link

slocki turn the movie off after the first hour and a half and you'll like it. watch the last half-hour and you'll realize it's just pretending to be a good movie (see also: the unth-degree better heat).

Yanc3y (ystrickler), Tuesday, 28 December 2004 05:55 (nineteen years ago) link

yeah heat rules, i can't imagine this being better

s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 28 December 2004 06:26 (nineteen years ago) link

five months pass...
http://www.taschen.com/media/images/380/ms_mann_02.jpg

La Monte (La Monte), Monday, 30 May 2005 01:07 (eighteen years ago) link

the text below the photo, which you can't read in that small image, is an in-depth discussion of philip michael thomas's chest hair

Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Monday, 30 May 2005 04:35 (eighteen years ago) link

i finally saw this!!

i don't think it was a really great movie in any way except the visuals. but i really enjoyed nonetheless. largely because it is maybe the best-looking movie i've seen in a really long time, save for perhaps bad education. what a great look. i love the way this movie looks. great-looking movie. movie=great looking.

i thought it looked great.

s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 30 May 2005 15:58 (eighteen years ago) link

three weeks pass...
I feel like I'd seen this movie a hundred times. One word to the plot: RENT A CAR.

Another Allnighter (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 21 June 2005 15:16 (eighteen years ago) link

I still haven't seen this movie due to rampant Cruisephobia.

The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 21 June 2005 15:20 (eighteen years ago) link

my roomate worked on this movie with the camera crew! you can see him during one of the featurette clips fumbling around in the background.

Actor Sizemore fails drug test with fake penis (jingleberries), Tuesday, 21 June 2005 15:27 (eighteen years ago) link

xpost: This movie will not cure you: same old ego warrior bullshit. Jaime Foxx does get to shoot him in the face, though.

Another Allnighter (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 21 June 2005 15:30 (eighteen years ago) link

i thought he was shot in the heart!

Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Tuesday, 21 June 2005 18:30 (eighteen years ago) link

That too.

Paunchy Stratego (kenan), Tuesday, 21 June 2005 18:33 (eighteen years ago) link

cue bon jovi

Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Tuesday, 21 June 2005 18:37 (eighteen years ago) link

six years pass...

this dialogue is excruciating

dayo, Saturday, 29 October 2011 01:27 (twelve years ago) link

ive seen this film probably 7 or 8 times

nakhchivan, Saturday, 29 October 2011 01:29 (twelve years ago) link

i ching

dayo, Saturday, 29 October 2011 01:30 (twelve years ago) link

tom cruise empowers jamie foxxxxx

dayo, Saturday, 29 October 2011 01:33 (twelve years ago) link

he does

nakhchivan, Saturday, 29 October 2011 01:34 (twelve years ago) link

look at us talking about digital video upthread like it wasn't about to completely engulf all filmed entertainment.

(and big lols at us being all like, "widescreen tv isn't gonna be a thing for a LONG time")

the jazz zinger (s1ocki), Saturday, 29 October 2011 01:39 (twelve years ago) link

diggin this no belt look

dayo, Saturday, 29 October 2011 01:47 (twelve years ago) link

maybe in the end... it will be jamie foxxxxxx who teaches tom cruise about ~lyfe~

dayo, Saturday, 29 October 2011 01:48 (twelve years ago) link

Yeah, this is a fun thread to read seven years later. Maybe the only time a post of mine was part-composed by a cat?

A Lip in the Blandscape (jaymc), Saturday, 29 October 2011 02:07 (twelve years ago) link

cool dog crossing street

dayo, Saturday, 29 October 2011 02:23 (twelve years ago) link

underselling a COYOTE TROTTING ACROSS THE ROAD TO CHRIS CORNELL

encarta it (Gukbe), Saturday, 29 October 2011 02:35 (twelve years ago) link

I think tom cruises facial hair is growing at a millimeter a minute

dayo, Saturday, 29 October 2011 02:36 (twelve years ago) link


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