by CHRIS BARRY

You like Michael Mann? Were you weaned on Miami Vice and Vega$? Thought his Heat was the most brilliant film of the '90s? If so, then you're gonna love Collateral, Mann's return to traditional form after puking up the generally disappointing Ali a couple of years ago.

For starters, Tom Cruise (love him or hate him) is perfectly cast for the role of an emotionally detached grey-haired contract killer. He certainly appears to be shooting for an Oscar nomination here and if Mann's track record at securing nominations for mediocre talents (Will Smith, Russell Crowe) is anything to go by, it's a safe bet Cruise will be meeting this grand objective come Oscar season next March. In other words, expect to be hearing about this film for awhile.

Jamie Foxx plays a cab driver who is a bit of an anomaly among L.A. cabbies in that he keeps his taxi spotless and his business honest. This doesn't go unnoticed by Cruise, who, after stepping into Foxx's cab, promptly offers him $600 to drive him around town all night while he visits a series of business associates. Foxx agrees but it soon becomes apparent - when Cruise exits his cab for the first time and a corpse comes crashing down on his car moments later - that Cruise is a cold-blooded killer and is actually in town for a killing spree.

Needless to say, this doesn't make Foxx too happy. As an unwilling accomplice to Cruise's crimes, he's forced to chauffeur the big meanie around from killing to killing. But don't worry too much for Foxx, folks, because only two steps behind them is ace cop Mark Ruffalo, who's figured out what Cruise is up to and is keen to put him out of commission.

So okay, the premise is dumb and predictable. What else is new? But the subtext and surprising depth that both Cruise and Foxx bring to their characters make this film considerably more interesting than most suspense/action movies. Mann is clearly at the top of his game with Collateral, so if this kind of thing fries your burger, then by all means check it out. You won't be disappointed.

Collateral opens Friday, Aug. 6

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