Amid the late-summer movie junk pile, it’s refreshing to get an actual film that’s made well, written well and shot well. How to feel about getting a quality picture in August? Very well, indeed.

Director Michael Mann has no shortage of high-quality movies to draw you to the theater himself, from Heat to The Insider, even Last of the Mohicans and “Miami Vice.” Having Tom Cruise as his villain lifted Collateral to a level above what otherwise could have been a basic crime thriller.

	"There are six billion people on this planet. I knock off a fat Angellino, and you throw a hissy fit?"

Would you rather get offed by Joe Blow on a heroin bender or a snappy-dressed, thoughtful Tom Cruise just doing his job? With distinguishing gray hairs, Cruise is patient and unruffled, yet very deadly contract killer on an overnight mission to kill five people and get out of L.A. by morning. Tom just rolls with the changes. He’s a no-nonsense straight-talker, improvises, adapts, stays mellow and is pretty darn talkative for a professional killer.

Seriously, Cruise could get an Oscar nomination for this role. It’s his best since Magnolia, another role where Cruise was out of his hero element and dominated every scene. Yeah, yeah, you’re still aware it’s Tom Cruise on the screen, but when you’re one of Hollywood’s brightest stars it’s expected. Do you watch anything Tom Hanks does anymore without thinking, “Hey, that’s Tom Hanks! Run, Forrest!”

Already in the hands of Mann and Cruise, the only way this movie could have disappointed would have been the gutsy use of normally-goofy Jamie Foxx as the straight man. The filmmakers didn’t err at all; Foxx is rock solid, playing up his turn as the everyday man put in a heck of a spot. A “temporary” cab driver for 12 years, he takes care of his passengers as well as his clean taxi.

What’s best is that Cruise gets all the good lines, especially the humorous ones. When Tom sets Jamie’s dispatcher straight over the radio, the audience can’t help but like both men, and think that Cruise may be deadly but he knows how the world works. There’s even time away from death raining down of the shady underworld to listen to some jazz and figure out the whys and hows of life.

From this dialogue, Collateral gets a lot of assistance from its look and mood. With a smooth flow between scenes and soothing music we’re at ease, even when tension rises. I must also include that there are a few awkward manipulations, though rare enough not to distract, such as cops getting called away to another crime just in the nick of time.

The look is even better than the mood. Gritty Los Angeles is seen through terrific camera angles, from extreme close-ups featuring grainy hand-held shots to overhead exposing shots and Mann explores every angle of the cab.

Outside of Tom and Jamie we also get to follow the cops going after the wrong leads (of course), investigating the wrong person for the murders (naturally) and eventually meaning bubkiss in the end. The only one even close to the trail is Mark Ruffalo, one of the “it” men of indie pictures nowadays. So, of course, he needs to appear smart. The other cops, dimwits and probably corrupt. It is L.A., you know. Don’t they beat gay Mexican children before breakfast? Or is that just an excessive, overused stereotype?

For the love interest Jamie gets Jada Pinkett Smith, looking good with long straight hair.

It can’t all be good, of course. Towards the end of the movie the plot hydroplanes out of control with what it thinks is a deep well of thought, but in reality is just another shallow action-movie ending that doesn't have a place in authenticity. It all gets tiring once Tom and Jamie begin a long philosophical discussion while they should be focusing on survival. Another instance of typical Tinseltown writing, why must we always bring this up: When you shoot a bad guy, finish him off! Don’t run away!

Okay, so the style outweighs the substance in the end, but Collateral is still worth your while and better than most any other offering during these late summer movie doldrums. Or stay home and watch “Amish in the City” if that’s your cup of reali-tea. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.