Jamie Foxx: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

2. Max €“ Collateral

It's an odd skill, being an everyman. It's even odder when your success reaches the level where you could sleep in a bed made of unicorn fur and nobody would bat an eyelid. That's why being able to capably embody such a character is a sought-after skill in Hollywood. When you live in such a rarefied atmosphere, being able to come back down to Earth is worth its weight in gold. Yet Foxx can do it with aplomb, and nowhere is this more apparent than in Collateral. The actor is the very epitome of believability throughout the picture, perfectly portraying Max, a cab driver and normal guy thrown into an extraordinary situation when he takes on an impossibly-haired Tom Cruise as a fare. There's a strange sweetness and earthiness to the part, perfectly contrasted with Cruise's cold, hard rationalism, and the way these opposites smash together provide plenty of dramatic meat between its murder-y flashpoints. Max is a man horrified by what's going down, but still has the inner resolve to turn the tables on his hitman adversary when the time comes. But this isn't a baffling volte-face €“ you honestly believe Foxx's character could dredge this strength up from deep down within him, and that's entirely down to the actor's performance.