Collateral

At a recent gathering of writers and like-minded types, heavily lubricated and subsequently influenced by large quantities of alcohol and food, tempered by loud and noisy opinions, many obscene and rude, a curious, but serious and certainly disturbing revelation was brought forth: The Hollywood Machine is dying.

Slowly some days. Faster others. Regardless,it is dying, and the rattle from deep within is heard more and more, signaling what is certain to come: The demise of a once proud and mighty industry.

Of course, such a demise is avoidable. But for this to happen certain changes from within must take place, and sooner, not later.

Unlike many of my fellow scribes I am an optimist, and I believe these changes are already being made.

Consider as proof the latest vehicle for Tom Cruise: "Collateral", a superficially disturbing effort about a professional and a working class joe, and how their lives come together as both lives unravel over one night, that mostly takes inside a cab, as they travel from one destination to another.

"Collateral" opens with Cruise exchanging briefcases with a stranger in an airport. Why? What is this all about? Before the question can be answered, before other questions relating to the situation can be asked the movie turns and seemingly becomes another movie: Now there is a cab driver named Max (Jamie Foxx, in a role that will no doubt get him more dramatic roles, if he so desires them), who picks up a fare named Annie (Jada Pinkett Smith). She is business, professional. She quickly lists the streets he should take to get her to downtown Los Angeles. He responds with a typical cabbie answer: He knows a faster route. There is a long discussion about this and they finally make a bet: The ride will be free if he doesn't get them to downtown faster.

The ride begins and the two of them continue their exchange. Logically such an exchange would be based in sexual dynamics but this dynamic is void of such things. Because it is the action moves quickly and facts are quickly established: She is a federal prosecutor who has a confession to make: She is so nervous the night before a big case she cries and cries. He tries to soothe her by revealing a fact of his own: He wants to own his own limo service. As a result they come to like each other. Then he lets her out of the cab, and realizes he should have asked for her number. She taps on the window and gives him her card.

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