 
Collateral Redemption
And speaking of Ray, how great is Jamie Foxx? A gifted comedian, Foxx has proved himself to be even better at dramatic roles, as these three films demonstrate. By the time you read this, he may have already won the Oscar for his portrayal of Ray Charles in one of the best biopics in recent years. When I first saw Ray in the theater, it was about a week after watching the aforementioned Live In Brazil DVD, so I was duly impressed by how Foxx had seemingly crawled under the skin of his hero and become him. It was news to me that David “Fathead” Newman had been a member of Charles’ band, so seeing him fleshed out by Bokeem Woodbine was an extra treat, as was Richard Schiff’s portrayal of Jerry Wexler and Rick Gomez as engineer Tom Dowd. Ray is not a perfect film – some of director Taylor Hackford’s
visual flashbacks and special effects lose their effectiveness with
repetition and as soon as Charles kicks his heroin addiction, the next
40 years of his life are glossed over and the film ends abruptly. However,
in the end, Jamie Foxx is so terrific, the film’s weaknesses don’t
really matter. He captures the musician as bandleader, drug addict,
philanderer, businessman, husband & father and most of all, one
of the most important and significant entertainers of the 20th century.
The viewer is offered the choice of watching the theatrical version,
or the director’s cut with 25 minutes of additional footage (also
included on the bonus disc). Other extras include complete musical performance In Collateral, Foxx shines again as a cab driver whose life is forever changed when he picks up two fares one night in L.A. – a beautiful District Attorney (Jada Pinkett Smith) and a contract killer (Tom Cruise). Cruise is perfectly cast as the impeccable sociopath who forces Foxx to drive him around the city while he picks off his targets one by one, occasionally adding to the body count when someone tries to get in his way. For the first half of the movie, Foxx is the educated cabbie dreaming of starting his own business and a frightened man totally at the mercy of his passenger. Halfway through the story however, their roles begin to shift, as Foxx begins to assert himself and Cruise starts questioning his own motives. In crafting one of the most exciting thrillers in recent memory, director Michael Mann used high-definition video to depict visions of Los Angeles at night with a crystal-clarity never before been seen on the silver screen and his attention to detail and gritty realism really sells the story. The second disc of bonus features is a fascinating look at the creative process with regard to special effects and the preparations and demands Mann placed upon the actors for their roles. In Redemption, Foxx plays Stan “Tookie” Williams – the founder of L.A.’s notorious Crips and follows his story from thuggin’ in South Central, to his subsequent arrest and life in prison, where he turns his life around and attempts to undo some of the damage caused by the spread of gang warfare around the country. Foxx rescues the film from becoming typical movie-of-the-week fodder, through his complex portrait of a troubled man coming to terms with his personal demons and Lynn Whitfield is excellent as the writer who helps to inspire Williams’ change of heart. These three films bode well for Foxx’s acting career and assure him of solid roles in the future, providing Hollywood is willing to offer more substantial scripts for black actors. Of the three, Ray is the film to own, but Collateral provides enough excitement that multiple viewings are not out of the question. -- David Bassin
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edited in the film and scenes of Foxx and Charles as they meet and feel
each other out for the first time.