"Collateral": film noir 2004?

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I see there have been some comments about the film in august. This is the home theater dvd crowd's turn.
I don't really know the meaning of the words "film noir" but I know it's applied to some films that I've seen such as "Body Heat" and "Body Double". So I figure this is a film in this category.
This film kind of reminds me of some recent films like "Changing Lanes", and the one about the phone booth ("Phone Booth"?), but this is a better film. It also shares similarities with films I've seen in which all the action takes place in one day.
I think this is a 2004 film noir. There is a real edge to this film, a rawness, but it does not become too unbearable. It stays within tolerable limits. There is enough edge to make it a good film.
21st century? People always seem ready to go over the edge. To be mass killers. There is even a nobility to it. A reason for it.
There is even less reason to be a hero but it is done anyway.
There is enough improbablity to this film also. The scene involving going to the hospital borders on the ridiculous. The improbability is to the level that the director is being purposeful in fostering improbability. He throws it in for some reason I was unable to discern. Some type of self-reflective folly.
The body of the film, as opposed to the intent, is filled with riding around and experiencing interesting things, interesting sites, and the anxiety and senselessness of modern life. This is well-done.
One scene you think is an interesting reprieve but then you realize you are tricked and it is just another part of the plot.
The intent of the film, I'm not so sure. Looking at one review, the critic thinks he has this director pegged as to what the director is always tries to convey in his movies, but I'm not so sure he is on the mark. His idea is that the good guy realizes that little seperates him from the bad guy. Maybe that is one of the ideas, but I don't think it's the main one.
The main idea has more to do with justifying divergence and insanity, I think, and looking at the misery of the regular person. A certain type of unhappiness and self-deception.

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Topic - "Collateral": film noir 2004? - njjohn 19:06:39 12/20/04 (9)

"One scene you think is an interesting reprieve." Yes, that was excellent. nt - clarkjohnsen 10:05:55 12/21/04 (4)

oh, you must mean - TA 13:39:54 12/21/04 (3)

Re: oh, you must mean - njjohn 16:14:50 12/21/04 (2)

Re: oh, you must mean - TA 16:40:00 12/21/04 (1)

Re: oh, you must mean - warrenh@optonline.net 05:47:07 12/23/04 (0)

Re: "Collateral": film noir 2004 - Not really. - PdL 05:45:45 12/21/04 (3)

Re: "Collateral": film noir 2004 - Not really. - TA 09:28:45 12/21/04 (0)

Re: When I think of film noir - rico 08:51:40 12/21/04 (1)

Sin City looks like the film noir for you - Peterloplop 14:06:04 12/21/04 (0)

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