Hands of Time

Matt Damore

I don't know what it is I like so much about the movie Collateral, staring Tom Cruise and Jamie Fox. A scene that especially stands out is near the beginning. Fox plays a taxi driver named Max who picks up a woman named Annie. They begin to chat. Max has been doing his job for a while, so he is able to be an adept reader of persons. Rapport is struck. You can tell there is an attraction there. Annie seems reticent. But all of this is peripheral. What I love is the way the following scenes flow. Max helps Annie get to her destination, but while they're driving there is a song on the radio. Annie tells Max to turn up the volume, to which Max responds, "Oh, so you like the classics?" A beautiful, jazzy song has been playing in the background. Outside shots of the taxi are accompanied by the song. There are aerial shots of the taxi ride through downtown L.A. in the darkness of the night, and the song plays, and it's so soothing and perfect and even enchanting: all the more so because the song seems to be the aroma of the romance that might kindle if things go just right for Max and Annie: you just have that feeling that something special might happen.

So, there I was in 2004, seeing this movie for the first time, being affected by it just like how I tried to describe above. And, of course, I've seen the movie again and again. The movie itself is very good and its a subject for another day. My primary focus is on that particular scene. It never gets old. It stirs in me a feeling of, of - I hardly know what! I feel touched and happy and relaxed and wistful - I start having feelings that make me remember things in my past, giving me a melancholy: not a morose kind, but a sweet one.

Now, just the other day, I had been on an itunes binge! It's enabled me to find songs I never dreamed I'd be able to find. On a certain excursion, it suddenly popped into my head that particular scene in the movie Collateral with what I would have called: that jazzy, blues song Fox's character turns up near the beginning of that Collateral movie! Well, I found it.

It's called 'Hands of Time' by a band called Groove Armada. It's not a fixed group; it comprises an assortment of various artists willing to contribute. But what was most interesting to me is who was the particular contributor for the song 'Hands of Time'. His name was Richie Havens. Sound familiar? Come to find out, he is somewhat of a folk legend. In 1969, Mr. Havens provided the opening music for the unprecedented Woodstock Festival, captivating audiences for 3 hours. He has since had a brilliant career.

When I finally decided to look up the music video on youtube, I didn't yet know who he was. I was expecting a middle-aged man, somewhat talented, but probably a one-hit-wonder. But no. There stood an elderly man, with a long, flowing, white beard, eyes closed, passionate, singing a song about lost love, regret, but the resolve to start again anew. What began as the simple enjoyment of a particular movie scene has since grown into a deeper appreciation of a legendary folk guitarist. Most importantly, the effect the scene has on me has an even deeper impact. So many elements are involved in its appreciation. But in this case, everything dovetails perfectly.