Collateral
Similar to his cops and robbers drama Heat, Collateral features Mann's penchant for deep character studies and gritty realism. Unfortunately, what it carries in those attributes, it lacks in suspense. The film's final act is a forgone conclusion from almost the beginning, leaving the viewer no choice but to indulge the story's "hit man/cab driver as philosophers" premise, which eventually wears thin as well. Mann and cinematographers Dion Beebe and Paul Cameron redeem some of these shortcomings with their stark visual approach to late-night L.A., while superb performances from the cast (Cruise is unexpectedly excellent as a villain) help the film rise above its predictable storyline.