Taking Lives Movie Review:


Here's another deeply formulaic thriller with high production values and a strong cast slumming their way through an appallingly predictable script. It
has its moments, and is always watchable, but why bother when we've seen it so many times before? Just look at the cast list; assuming you've read
nothing about this film, you already know whodunit and who they want us to think is the killer!

Illeana (Jolie) is an FBI profiler called in to help with a brutal serial murder case in Montreal. The local cops (Martinez, Karyo and Anglade) aren't thrilled by her presence, even after she cleverly spots key clues here and there. A witness to one murder, Costa (Hawke), provides the first tangible evidence, while an elegant but cranky woman (Rowlands) adds a wrinkle to the mystery, and a sinister figure (Sutherland) lurks in the margins. Can the cops put all the pieces together before the killer strikes again? And can they put aside their personal issues to solve the case?

Caruso directs the film with that anonymous sheen we see in this genre--stylish but uninventive, while seemingly oblivious to either the plot's clunkiness or the ludicrously contrived character arcs. The film
looks fantastic, and all of the actors are quite good (until it goes silly), helped by having award-winners like Sutherland, Rowlands, Dano and Crozee in
micro-roles. Jolie holds the film together effortlessly in the role usually played by either herself or Ashley Judd in these movies, complete with quirky behaviour and one "passionate" sex scene in which she earns her stripes as a contortionist! There are plenty of scenes that make us jump--mostly red herrings or completely illogical plot turns, but at least they're great fun. We're never in danger of falling asleep as we watch Bokenkamp ("story and screenplay by"--does he have no shame?) press all the buttons on cue, complete with fake-out ending and various explanatory codas. None of which is remotely surprising, even if it will make you squeal with mock-terrified glee. Ah yes, that's why we watch these films!

Rich Cline

FBI profiler Illeana Scott (Jolie) is asked to assist on a suspected serial killer case that is baffling the Montreal police. She concludes that the killer is not just killing his victims but he is taking their lives and has been doing so for nearly twenty years. Thanks to witness John Costa (Hawke) they now have a workable sketch of their suspect but it looks like Costa has gained the killer’s attention and he has been targeted as his next victim.

Since David Fincher’s Se7en was released in 1995, every single serial killer movie has been drained of originality like the murderer’s hapless victims. Taking Lives is no exception.

While the profile of the killer might change from film to film, the look of each movie stays the same, especially the opening credits. Taking Lives does have some twists and turns but the revelations are predictable with only the ending adding an acceptable piece of originality. Everything else just amalgamates into the dearth of creativity that is plaguing the genre.

The real travesty is that the filmmakers have gathered together a good cast but the script just doesn’t challenge their talents in the slightest. Angelina Jolie is seems like she is on autopilot throughout the film. Besides from looking stunning as usual she is called on to do nothing else but look concerned on occasion and do her obligatory semi-naked love scene. Hopefully she will learn from these bad career choices and move on to better things, as she is a talented actress. Ethan Hawk doesn’t fair any better with a character that might be a change from his usual persona but he just doesn’t have the screen present to pull it off. Olivier Martinez is criminally underused as a character that is little more than argumentative background filler. Tchéky Karyo is Hollywood’s French actor who is always called upon when a Gallic man of authority is needed. (Shame he is actually Turkish). As for Kiefer Sutherland, the man is relegated to little more than a cameo. This is the biggest murder of the entire film.

For a serial killer movie, Taking Lives is strangely devoid of murders. Yes there are some post-mortem moments but you only ever see the killer complete his pattern once and that is in a flashback. The film is just far too average and predictable to entertain. A soon as the credits roll you’d have forgotten everything you’ve just watched or you’ll be wanting to.

Star Rating = * *

Jamie Kelwick

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