Cinepals - COLLATERAL Reaction & Review!

Episode Date: August 22, 2024

Kristen & Micheal watch "Collateral," a tense crime thriller where a Los Angeles cab driver is taken hostage by a hitman who forces him to drive to various locations as he completes a series of contract killings in one night. This film is directed by Michael Mann (Heat & The Insider) & it stars: Tom Cruise (Top Gun & Mission: Impossible series), Jamie Foxx (Ray & Django Unchained), Jada Pinkett Smith (The Matrix Reloaded & Gotham), Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers series & Spotlight), and Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men & Skyfall). Join our Patreon https://www.Patreon.com/JabyKoay or become a YouTube member for access to full length watchalong reactions! Or join us on https://www.YouTube.com/@CinePals to watch the cutdown reaction to the movie! SOCIAL MEDIA: ~CINEPALS~ YouTube: @CinePals Insta: https://instagram.com/TheCinePals Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheCinePals ~KRISTEN STEPHENSONPINO~ Instagram: @Kris10Kesp ~MICHAEL BOOSE~ Instagram: @BooseIsLoose

Sina. Pals. What's up, guys? It's Kristen Sepsin. I'm joined by Michael Booth. Hello. We're watching Collateral. Who better to watch it with than this guy right here?

That's me? Right here. Let's just hop into this because Mr. Cruz is in it. So you know the film's going to be good. Dang. You got to move out of L.A. my man. That was amazing. Wow.

That was amazing. I loved every second of that. I loved. Like, that was so well done. Everything. It was like a really beautifully understated action movie. Because, like, a lot of it is just, like, sort of cerebral and conversation between Max and Vincent. And with, like, brief breaks of action, but the action wasn't the, like, core part of it.

No, it was badass. It was so good. And Mark, I guess Mark, I guess he did. Yeah. Yeah, Mark Ruffalo is done. I thought he was going to come back. But, you know, boy, what's I wrong. Yep.

Yo, this storyline's so freaking cool. So good. So cool. So good. I loved everything about it. I loved the way they told the story. Everything that came out of each character's mouth was gold. And then the guy, Daniel, the jazz guy, oh, my God, that moment was...

That was so good. Oh, that whole scene. His whole monologue about Miles Davis was stunning. Like, I could. not take my eyes off the screen at that point. There was not a one week link in here, in my opinion. Same. I mean, if it weren't for the fact that, like, we have to provide commentary,

I probably would have watched this entire movie with my jaw on the floor the entire time. Like, the only reason I had any ability to, like, pick it up and, like, make comments is because I knew, like, otherwise it'd just be a really boring, quiet video. Because this was stunning. Like, it nearly had me speechless, which is hard to do. This was really incredible. The direction was phenomenal. I really liked what they did with like the really close, tight cinematography.

Like you spend so much time in that car and all of it is really great dialogue and the dynamic between Vincent and Max. Oh, man. Yeah, their relationship, I think Vincent loved Max. He started like falling forward, you know, like, I don't know, because he did save him. I know he still needed him, but at the same time, did he really need him? I don't know. So I love that part where he's like, I saved your life.

Like, the comedy in it. And the fact that he was, like, trying to help him. He was, like, sitting in this cab and, like, you know, taking him for this ride that, like you said, could result in him offing Max at the end. And so maybe he's trying to get him to, like, live life and experience life. But the lessons he was teaching him, like, just go out and do your limo thing. Call the girl. Like, you're bent out of shape over one guy. There's millions of people in L.A.

Yeah. Like, what are you doing? Why are you so perfect on everything you need to do? It was just, it was such an interesting dynamic. And then watching Max evolve because of that dynamic, the way he steps into his own and steps into that Vincent character and that confidence in the club when he's asking for the new list. So cool.

And such like a brilliant moment of, of character development. Really, really cool. I'm just, Mr. Fox, man, let me tell you. Like the whole cast, Mark, like, you can't go wrong, Bruce. Like, all these people in this, it was like, you were set up for success. Yeah. No, everybody's great. You could not fail.

And the music to each scene and the way they were building it up and how where we started with the music in itself was just so good. But all the, I'm like obsessed with the dialogue so much because I felt like as we're watching it, we're also learning. Yeah. Like, they're talking to us. I'm like, damn, you're right. I should, yeah, I should do that. You're right. I got to get out there and just do things.

And then you're kind of like, all right, this is a serial killer kind of guy, like a little hitman. And he's giving me the best life lessons right now. Right. But it's like, I guess when you're in that type of field, right? You're going to have a lot more of that deeper thinking and that mindset, but you're also going to sit there and defend the smaller guy too because you're kind of like you see life differently. Oh, yeah. Him coming after Max's boss was such a great thing. Oh, I loved it.

And I love that he, like, I don't know, for me, I feel like Vincent deep down. He was like a good guy. He's just doing his job. You know what I mean? And he's seen a lot of stuff. And maybe there's things he's not fully proud of. He had a path, like a rough pass. I think there's parts where he can relate to Max.

And he was very comical, but like so real. Like, it's your mother. She carried you in your womb. Get her flowers. Yeah. Go to the hospital. That's the least you could do. And I just, for me, it's so true.

And we, and sometimes we, you know, as people's, I feel like it was so relatable and more ways than one. On all, like, all over the place where you're like, damn, you're right, you're right. But then you're also like, yeah, but my mom hates flowers. Why do you get this? And then when somebody else, they're like, oh my God, do you praise you.

You're like, thank you for the flowers. They're very beautiful. Oh, my God. Going back to the writing. So funny. The writing's amazing. Where I think there were some really excellent. moments of um showcasing character hypocrisy because vincent very much talks about like at the

beginning and opening up is like improv live life you know adapt improvise overcome things like that right but the moment the moment things stray a slightly off plan with the guy going out the window is suddenly when vincent starts losing it and starts losing control of the situation because he can't improvise. He's heavily reliant on plan and structure and everything going to time because he had an exact time frame that he had to do everything in,

get onto his plane by 6 a.m. And when Max threw his list out the window and all of his prep work, we started seeing everything come off the rails. And he started losing his mind and he started having to step out of normal procedure and he was mad that he had to step out of normal procedure in order to accomplish it.

He said, not pattern. He used another word, routine. Yeah, your routine. Yeah, there we go. Yeah, because he used the word routine. He goes, routine is good. Like, but if you stray from your routine, things go down here. You stray from routine, your mother's going to start looking.

People are going to start looking for you. Like, and it's interesting because he was, like you said. Was the one that was like improvise, live life. He was so on routine for him and got so off. Exactly. That he was like, yeah, you got to learn how to adapt. He gave like the best lessons, though. He did.

He gave really, really good lessons, but I think the interesting character point that I'm kind of driving at is the fact that he didn't necessarily listen to his own lessons. Yes. He talked a really big game, but when it came down to it, he followed a routine. And like he's telling Max,

like you've got to break out of that routine because 10 years down the line, 12 years down the line, you're going to find you've done nothing. And like here Vincent is, the moment routine breaks, he goes out, the guy goes out the window, everything is off the table. Well, I feel like in a way, yes, it was off the table, But at the same time, it was still there because he was adapting to the situation. Because even stopping at Max's mom's moms at the hospital, that's off, that's outside of his character.

But he insisted on doing these things, you know what I mean? And because he's all about, like, I think he respects the routine. But I just think that this was the one that he just could not swing to get back. He started kind of struggling a little bit. But gosh, dang it, man. This is fire. It was. I loved it.

I want to watch it. I will watch it again in the comforts of my home. Right. Where I can just be like, yeah, when you don't have to like commentate you don't have to do anything, but enjoy and really take it in and go.

Yeah, every little minute detail, everything. I think another like really excellent point to the writing was also the two conversations between Max and Annie in the back of his car at the beginning of the movie and Max and Vincent before he knew who Vincent was. It's like the same exact conversation. But the way the two characters go about it results in an entirely different aura or, I guess, conversation or response from Max.

Yeah, exactly. And I think that was also really cleverly written, the way they did the dialogue and the way Tom Cruise played in his, Vincent, in his insistence on getting answers and things like that versus Annie that, like, kind of coaxed answers out based on, like, the nice, jovial conversation. I thought it was a really, really good juxtaposition. Just like the writing was so amazing. And the direction was great, like, getting all these moments and establishing things

in a really subtle, like, show, not tell sort of way, so good, so good. It's interesting. I went to look at the ratings, and it only got a 7.5 out of 10. I think it's underrated. I agree. I agree. At least an 8.5. I would have at least an 8.5, like, I would put a 5, maybe 9.

Like, at least. Like, I thought it was really, really well done. I thought it was really great. I think they're just being mean personally, and they dropped the ball on that rating. But that's just me. Very good. What do I know? You guys, let us know what you thought in the comments.

I absolutely love and adore this film. I think it's absolutely badass. Same. So I think all the movements, the shots, like, the way, yo, the way the camera work and their shots, even some of the dirty shots that they had. Oh, my God, yeah. I loved it. And, like, you know, playing with, like, racking focus between the front of the car and the back of the car or even just the moments where you had Jamie Fox fully in focus and then Tom Cruise in the background out of focus.

Yeah. The cinematography was just so stunning. I really do love the part where Tom Cruise, he busts down the mirror or with the, with the chair. And then tripped over it. And he drips over it. I was like, it's so good. Like, I don't think that was planned. I don't think he really was supposed to do that.

There's no way. Absolutely not. It's Tom Cruise. He's like a perfectionist, I feel like. And the fact that that went into play made it that much better, I think. Yeah. I was like, oh, my God, this is gold. Fire.

Like I said, I know I already try to wrap this up. It's just I'm that much, and I'm just so in love with this film. And I feel like it captured L.A. very well. It did. Especially, like, the grimy parts. Let us know your thoughts in the comments. And if you haven't done so already, please hit that subscribe button, bell icons, all notifications, and up about this video for us, please. We love you.

Thank you for all your love and support. I'm Kristen Steppenso. I'm Michael Boos. And we'll see you next time. Bye. Bye.