REVIEW: SLEEPLESS

3/5

Sleepless In Collateral.

95 Mins. Starring: Jamie Foxx, Michelle Monaghan, T.I., David Harbour, Gabrielle Union, Dermot Mulroney, Octavious J. Johnson & Scoot McNairy. Director: Baran bo Odar.

Sleep isn't the only thing lost here in the new Jamie Foxx cop/crime thriller based on the French film 'Sleepless Night'. In this 'Sleepless' a million miles from Tom Hanks' Seattle, Foxx's son is literally being used as collateral. So expect some damage like the time he took Tom Cruise's awesome Mann made assassin for a taxi ride in downtown L.A. But this time it's the debauched city of sin Las Vegas that lays our action scenes like his digital era 'Miami Vice' days. And man how they unfold like a deck of cards across the electro neon strip which now seems to have added London's Eye to it's collector like site exhibits of the Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty. Try your hand because this is an explosive killer like heartland rocker Brandon Flowers singing about girls like they were atomic bomb tests in the desert from the back of his Mustang. And as soon as Jamie Foxx's stops at a red light in his G.T.O. he just wishes Ansel Elgort was driving. But fear not! With this and Edgar Wright's forthcoming 'Baby Driver' this double-act looks sets to be Foxx's biggest Summer yet and the actor/singer/comedian triple threats biggest year since he almost did the Oscar double for 'Ray' and 'Collateral' in the same calender the 'Unpredictable' singer pulled a Streisand and won both an Oscar and Grammy. No wonder ATL, King of the South rapper Cliff "T.I.P." Harris-who Foxx collaborated with on 'Live In The Sky' is riding and rolling shotgun as our lead detectives partner in fighting crime the right way...even if a few pages of the book they go by is a little dogeared with some slight foxing on the edges. Don't worry! Try not to lose any sleep over it.

'Django' really is off the chain here too. Running up the hood of cars in a parking lot with a blunderbuss and giving gas mask villains what for (But wait a minute! That stellar scene from the thrilling trailer of our D.I. is M.I.A. presumed D.O.A. in a spate of lost and found footage for films these days). All whilst wearing his necklace chain badge across his chest like a pair of dog tags. In this revenge soaked thriller Foxx puts everyone in the hole, but you can't snare or trap him. His Vincent Downs cop character vehicle is putting anyone in his way down and in the sand as "the baddest finest" ladies and gentlemen drives his enemies in his trunk to the dessert with Drake's 'Energy' on repeat. All in the name of this fathers son and whether he'll see another one. It's pretty serious for some brilliant B-movie material in this genre ignited 'John Wick' age. But as Jamie says "you hurt my son...I'm killing all of y'all" much in the same vein as his "touch your guns, you die" 'Django Unchained' quote you know he aint playing. And just like Tarantino you're gonna love the way he shoots boy. Or just like 'Just Like Me' returning collaborator T.I. says, "yo man that was some 'Reservoir Dogs' s### back there man", as Foxx replies that "it's been a long day"-but not in those words-looking like he's just taken someones ear off (well he is about to play Mike Tyson). And the 'American Gangster' and 'Ant-Man' rapper/actor T.I. who really grew in the aforementioned and the remake of the T.V. adaptation of 'Roots' plants himself next to Foxx perfectly. As Foxx is on a one man manhunt he still needs back up and you can for sure call on Tip in the Vegas air tonight. These two might be another 48 hours away from being at the level of a Beverly Hills Cop but they make for a pretty jam-packed Rush Hour with less jokes but more human traffic.

'True Detective' Michelle Monaghan is the the real draw here too, no stay at home character b.s. assignment. This is the 'Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang' and 'Gone Baby Gone' stars moment to represent like when she took complete character command at 'Fort Bliss'. The 'Mission Impossible III' and 'Source Code' standout knows how to make her own name next to the biggest leading men in the world (Tom Cruise, Jake Gyllenhaal etc). And this leading lady whose character in her 'Due Date' reunion with Robert Downey Jr. was rumoured to be running away with Foxx's part really has something here with Jamie in their own little reunion. You can cut the good cop/bad cop tension with the corners of the book they throw at you. Meanwhile 1980's Hawkins, Indiana Sheriff David Harbour is harbouring more 'Stranger Things' than looking for justice for Barb'. As the character actor of 'Black Mass' and 'The Equalizer furthers his formidable filmography favourbly, despite now-thanks to last year-being most recognisable for being made household face-to-a-name famous in a binge watching minute of an evening. The A-list cast of multiple grades all step up their A-game though. Just like Gabrielle Union bringing it all together. An actress more than merely being Miss Dwyane Wade or another member of the Basketball Wives club. One who brings the most heat since she was in Miami with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence for 'Bad Boys II'. Meanwhile 'August and Osage County' actor Dermot Mulroney who seemingly appears in more films than we realise, recognise or remember plays so much Pesci meets De Niro 'Casino' grease that he should stay in the kitchen with the rest of the condiments bagged up to look like coke. And in this drug run turned cat and mouse Casino chase that races through 95 minutes of run-time like eyes on the ball of a roulette wheel there's even more players. Like 'Killing Them Softly' pain strummer Scoot McNairy who fingers the trigger on his own moment here after being like one of Ben Affleck's best friends that appear in all his films like Sandler's ones ('Argo', 'Gone Girl' and 'Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice'). Playing a vile villain with such inked and scarred conviction, Scoot is ready for his 'War Machine' with Pitt and the 'Aftermath' with Arnie himself. But lets hear it for and hand it to relative 'Coldwater' newcomer Octavious J. Johnson. Coming of age as our lead cops son. Swiss director Baran bo Odar who made his name with 'Who Am I? No System Is Safe' times all of this with precision perfection. Even if this scatter-gun movie moves at an abrupt pace it still keeps you guessing and wondering as to how they will get out of this jam at a shade over an hour and a half before they take the casino. From the sparkler fireworks of bottle service club carnage that could stick it to 'Collateral', to car chases of vehicular manslaughter like when Foxx flipped the very same cab on its top. Or the shootouts in this new Vegas similair to the Wild West. All set to a hauntingly tense score. And let's not forget the flour and cleaver, hells kitchen nightmares of what looks like a fight with Gordon Ramsey...perhaps they didn't like today's special. But here's something else too for your dessert out in the desert. Don't doze because this eye-opener 'Sleepless' is so slick there might just be a sequel in there. What happens in Vegas just stays going apparantly. Time for the next movie franchise to wake up. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

See This If You Liked: 'Collateral', 'Baby Driver', 'Triple 9'.