Collateral

Collateral (2004)
Starring: Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, and Mark Ruffalo
Directed by: Michael Mann
Nominated for Academy Award: Jamie Foxx - Best Supporting Actor
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Grade: B

This was a good movie overall. The only thing I didn't like was seeing Tom Cruise as a bad guy. (Hello, Maverick? He can't be a bad guy!) This movie is about LA cab driver Max Durocher (Foxx), who is dedicated to his job. So dedicated, that he keeps his cab in perfect shape. After giving a ride to a pretty US Attorney (Jada Pinkett Smith), he picks up a mysterious man named Vincent (Cruise), who tells him he'll pay him hundreds of dollars to drive him around to different meetings through the night. At their first stop, a body falls onto the cab, understandably freaking Max out. Things go from bad to worse when he realizes that Vincent killed him and his "meetings" are other killings he's been hired to complete. While the two speed through the streets of LA, with Vincent trying to complete his job and Max trying to stay alive, a tough detective named Fanning (Ruffalo) is on their trail. The FBI thinks that Max is in on it but Fanning isn't so sure. Fanning has to try to find Max before either the FBI or Vincent kills him in order to prove his innocence. Great performance from Tom Cruise, as usual. Jamie Foxx is also great. Mark Ruffalo is almost unrecognizable in this role; I only recognized him because of his voice. Great cast, and good movie.

Zodiac

Zodiac (2007)
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., and Mark Ruffalo
Directed by: David Fincher
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Grade: A+

I love movies about crimes...I don't know why...I'm not that violent... Anyway, this is one of the best I've seen, sticking very close to the real-life story. Paul Avery (Downey Jr.) is a star reporter with the San Francisco Chronicle. Also working in the office is Robert Graysmith (Gyllenhaal), a political cartoonist with a love of puzzles and no respect. A letter arrives at the Chronicle telling of two murders committed. In the letter, the person that wrote it took responsibility for both and sent a cypher to be published in the next edition. The paper doesn't take him seriously, which leads to more killings and more letters, from a man now calling himself "the Zodiac". At first kept out of the loop, when Graysmith solves one of the killer's cyphers and makes several guesses about the killer's next move, Avery starts sharing information with him. As they form a partnership, detectives Dave Toschi (Ruffalo) and Bill Armstrong (Anthony Edwards) start investigating the case when the killer crosses into their county. As many obstacles enter the picture and many years pass, it becomes clear to most of the people involved that the Zodiac will never be caught. While he is fading in the public interest, Graysmith is only becoming more obsessed. As his obsession grows and he gets closer to the truth, the more he is putting himself and his family in harm's way.