Mann-made ‘Collateral’ bonds action and depth

JOHN DEPKO

Los Angeles at night has never looked as good as it does in

“Collateral,” Michael Mann’s latest crime thriller. He’s been known

for stunning visuals and great music ever since his “Miami Vice”

days. But Mann adds a dimension in his feature films that’s lacking

in most other action flicks. He gives serious depth and complexity to

characters that would only be cardboard cutouts in the hands of a

lesser director.

In “Thief,” “Manhunter” and “Heat,” Mann gave a close examination

of troubled souls operating on the darkest fringes of society and

sanity. In “Collateral,” Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx are the major

character studies as they both go against their usual casting roles.

Cruise sheds his pretty-boy image and ages himself with flecked gray

hair and beard stubble. He plays the cold-hearted Vincent, a

controlled psychopath and contract killer hired by drug lords to

execute five snitches in one night.

But Foxx pulls off the greatest acting stretch in the movie. He

leaves his high-energy comedy persona behind to play Max, the cab

driver working the shift from hell. He starts as a simple innocent

who believes he is driving Vincent around to close five quick real

estate deals. Foxx slowly transforms Max into a very different

character, as he realizes Vincent’s real business is murder at every

stop. Along the way, Mann introduces several intricately drawn minor

characters in clever vignettes you would never expect in this type of

film.

Of course, big-budget summer films must contain some standard

elements. Mann’s thoughtful film is interrupted by a mandatory “Kill

Bill”-style shootout in a crowded nightclub. The obligatory extended

chase scene at the end of the movie is very well done but way too

long and superfluous to the intelligent drama that precedes it.

Still, at the very least, Mann has created a very well-crafted turn

on an otherwise familiar genre.

* JOHN DEPKO is a Costa Mesa resident and a senior investigator

for the Orange County public defender’s office.

This musical ‘Express’ a joy to jump aboard

“Festival Express” was the name given to a train traveling across

Canada for a week during the summer of 1970. What made this train

exceptional was that it carried such legendary musicians as Janis

Joplin, the Grateful Dead and the Band. These musicians lived and

partied together for five days, stopping only to perform at a few

concerts.

Fortunately for music lovers, a documentary crew was on hand to

film both the concerts and the train trip. This archival footage has

been combined with current-day interviews with many of the surviving

musicians and the concert promoters who were on the Festival Express.

It is a pleasure to see so many great musicians when they were

young, vibrant and having fun. The footage of the jam sessions and

casual interactions on the train allow a brief glimpse of the humans

behind the legends. It is both a joy and a bit heartbreaking to see

Joplin and Jerry Garcia full of life and thoroughly enjoying

themselves.

The film also offers live performances of complete songs by

several bands. Even among so many talented people, it is Joplin that

stands out. She is a force of nature, delivering a jolt of pure

energy in her performances that is not to be missed.

“Festival Express” preserves forever a short but priceless tour

during the early ‘70s. If you love the music from this era, “Festival

Express” is a must-see.

* TRICIA BEHLE lives in Newport Beach and works as a software

validator.