MJB SCRIPT REVIEW | COLLATERAL

“𝗡𝗼. 𝗜 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗺. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗺.”

Wanted something grittier today. Top writing team on this one and a Michael Mann film to boot. Let’s get down with our hitman groove; COLLATERAL.

Plot in a nutshell: Cab driver Max finds himself hostage and unwilling accomplice to contract killer Vincent, as he makes his rounds from hit to hit during one night in Los Angeles.

I had the pleasure of being cast in a clone of this movie a bunch of years ago, in the contract killer role. Very low budget and TBH, lots of fun. But I remember at the time when this film came out, everybody suddenly wanted to make a hitman movie. Shot on DV and dark and gritty as hell. It’s the type of story that can be done on the cheap and is certainly inspirational to any filmmakers out there trying to find something exciting that they can make for low bucks.

So what does this script offer us? Well for starters, it became a Michael Mann movie. Which means it has prime thriller calibre coming out of every pore. You know it’s going to be exciting, to the point that even on a subpar day, it’s going to be better than most. So let’s lock and load, and see what it’s packing…

So, what did I learn from COLLATERAL?

1. Dialogue - there is some lovely flow here. From Max’s smooth and calming every day guy, to the strong and yet deeply caring Annie (the District Attorney), to Fanning's wisecracking, edgy cop who can smell a rat a planet away. Then there’s Vincent.

Both engagingly charming and sadistically cold (literally changing from one to the other in a heartbeat), he is every inch the cab fare no one wants.

Each of these characters personalities flows powerfully through their dialogue. The way they interact is so relatable and familiar, that there is a slickness to the scripts energy. Some amazing dialogue, very funny at times and most importantly, intriguing. What are these characters going to say next…and why?

2. Actors - there is joy here in discovering a character that is so relentless, it takes a special kind of energy to maintain that character’s purpose and personality. Vincent is an unrelenting, disciplined freight train. This guy can’t and won’t be stopped. He is charm personified, yet carries an edginess that he seems to sleep in. Like nothing bothers him. Except being late. Or not doing his job. This is a fascinating character study and there is so much work going on there, that you can only dream of the guys true backstory. Max is the hero, yes. But Vincent is the interesting one. I suspect a lot of people would argue that Max is the interesting character, but read deeper. There is something relatable about Max, which is fine and dandy. But Vincent is where the meat is.

I would also give a hearty nod towards Fanning, the cop. Fun character and lots of little quirks that would be great to wrestle with for awhile before getting in front of the camera.

3. Action Directions - Mapped and accurate to a pinhead, this is technical filmmaking and intricacy. A director’s script, the aspects of camera shots, view, colours and vivid imagery is everything here. For those of us more used to just describing a room, this may feel a bit dazzling. But to those of you looking to get into the minutiae of camera angles and framing shots, this is pure catnip. More steel than heart, but a plethora of juicy descriptive terms to rob.

4. Story - every ounce of focus in this script is on Vincent‘s mission and Max trying to survive it. Fanning's pursuit of a ghost like criminal he thinks he’s close to, is an intriguing sub plot and is genuinely engaging when it’s happening (ending in a manner Fanning himself would find heartbreaking). But the propelling force here is Vincent versus Max. Max is drawn to Vincent, even though he knows that everything Vincent is doing is wrong, and, at the end of the night, only one of them will be left standing. Thrillingly, Max knows it won’t be him. So where is the hope? Where is the point that Max decides he might actually survive this? Is he deluding himself? These are the types of questions that the story asks, that keeps it so immersive and impossible to put down. You are drawn in like a sharp intake of breath, with little escape room. That is Max’ s plight and one of the most powerful elements of this script.

5. Finale - violent, frantic and whipping past at breakneck speed. From the moment Max and Vincent separate, the pursuit begins and races through a tumultuous 30 pages. A mix of action directions and panic, it’s a hell of a finish and by the time you get to the last page, you’re exhausted. Excellent escalation as the last scenes unfold and the character writing remains tight. Blistering.

The secret to the success of this script is entirely down to the magic interweaving of dialogue and outcomes from that dialogue. Characters talk and then bad things happen. Yummy.

This is action thriller masterclass right here. Inspiring and breathlessly entertaining. Lock and Load!

Link to the script:

https://thescriptsavant.com/movies/Collateral.pdf