20 Things You Somehow Missed In Collateral

How much do you remember about Michael Mann's neo-noir classic?

By David Ng'ethe /

It is safe to say that few directors match Michael Mann's understanding of the inner workings of neo-noir storytelling - and Collateral is proof of this. The 2004 crime thriller is rightfully considered one of the genre's best entries, and sits alongside other Mann gems such as Heat, Thief, and The Insider.

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The Stuart Beattie-penned flick stars Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx as a hitman and cab driver respectively, whose fates cross paths on a fateful night in Los Angeles. In true Mann fashion, Cruise's Vincent's actions greatly impact Foxx's Max as the latter is forced to drive the former around the city during his killing spree.

In addition to Mann's stylized direction, Collateral is bolstered by sleek digital cinematography from Dion Beebe, a lean and compelling script from Beattie and powerhouse performances from its two key leads. All these elements come together to create a compelling story set in a deeply atmospheric location and full of themes that explore the very worst the human condition has to offer.

Unnsurprisingly, some of the more subtle elements of Collateral (those both in front of and behind the camera) might have been missed by most moviegoers. From the origins of the film's title to Vincent's shooting style, here are the most important things you may have missed from Collateral...

20. Collateral Had A Very Different Title In Its Early Stages Of Development

It is no surprise that film titles change from their earliest stages of development to deep in production, and Collateral was no different.

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The movie's analysis by Esquire mentioned that the project was called The Last Domino before it was passed around to different filmmakers (such as Frank Darabont, who had planned on making it into a modestly-budgeted HBO flick).

Ultimately, once Michael Mann and scriptwriter Stuart Beattie got together, the picture got its current title. It is safe to say that Collateral was the better choice, as the Last Domino is not quite as gripping and relevant a title as what we got.

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