CriticSociety- film reviews

Review

Taking Lives

Director

D.J. Caruso

Year

2004

Rating

Reviewed by

José Ruiloba a.k.a. Morris

Review date

Tuesday, April 27, 2004

You know? I had somehow given up hope about Angelina Jolie. She was a big revelation at first, appearing gorgeous and always delivering amazing performances. She then went into a slump and starred in several movies that did nothing for her. That’s why seeing Taking Lives wasn’t precisely on my schedule. But then the movie arrived and it got good reviews. Could it not suck? The seal of approval came when my pal Groucho recommended it. That’s how I ended up seeing it… and falling in love with it in the way.

FBI Agent Illeana (Angelina Jolie) travels to Montreal in order to help find the identity of a serial killer who kills his victims by smashing their heads and cutting off their hands. It is her old pal Leclair (Tchécky Karyo) who called her, even though Paquette (Olivier Martinez) is not too happy to have her around. Everything changes when a witness appears. Costa (Ethan Hawke) claims to have seen the killer’s latest murder, so he instantly becomes the police’s greatest ally. A cat-and-mouse game ensues.

I really got a kick out of Taking Lives. Director D.J. Caruso has got what it takes and provides his movie with equal shares of style, intelligence and scares. I was especially intrigued by the way the movie never insulted my intelligence. It has a tight script that is not without its minor flaws, but it had been a while since a thriller of this type had caused such a reaction in me.

I love plot twists, I always have. And this movie is full of them. However, most movies of this kind rarely satisfy. Once the identity of the killer is revealed then it all goes downhill. Well, most times. Not here though. The movie doesn’t do anything we haven’t seen before, but perhaps the way the characters are established and the way the director handles his movie are important points to make us care and believe what we see on-screen.

I had a blast. Every turn was a delight. I never saw anything coming, and the movie kept surprising me at every corner until the last frame. Great ending, by the way. Some people didn’t like it. I loved it, and it made total sense if you come to think about the characters’ personalities.

Another pleasure the movie has to offer is Angelina Jolie herself. Wow, my faith is restored. This is her best performance in a long while. She’s extraordinary. Her character doesn’t say much, but you can sense what she’s thinking with only a glance. She’s both vulnerable and tough. And the way she slowly melts throughout the movie is heartbreaking. Ethan Hawke is also quite good. And I loved Gena Rowlands in the small role she has. Creepy!!!

Worth mentioning is Philip Glass’s terrific score and Amir M. Mokri’s cinematography.

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Other reviews of Taking Lives (2004): Groucho

Review

Taking Lives

Director

D.J. Caruso

Year

2004

Rating

Reviewed by

Gon Curiel a.k.a. Groucho

Review date

Wednesday, May 05, 2004

Angelina Jolie plays Illeana Scott, an FBI Agent summoned to Montreal by an old friend and colleague (Tchéky Karyo) to solve an undeniably notorious case of a serial killer, of whom not much is known. His identity is presumed to be that of Martin Asher, a deadly man thought killed fourteen years ago, whose mother (Gena Rowlands) now presumes to have seen him lately.

At the moment, an alleged victim of the murderer has been found by a passerby, artist James Costa (Ethan Hawke), who also happened to see the madman and then tried to help the poor victim, to no avail. Costa is terrified to be involved in such a case, but does his best to help find the man he saw (he even draws a portrait).

In the meantime, Scott does an excellent job of discerning information and getting to hypothetical conclusions that really seem to help, which provokes both the admiration of one of his Canadian colleagues (Jean-Hughes Anglade), and the envy of another (Olivier Martinez). Despite the latter’s attitude, they work as a team and eventually get quite close to catching the killer… or so they think.

James Costa is absolutely freaked out, and Illeana can’t help but feel compassion for him. She’s even attracted to him, as he obviously is to her, but professionalism keeps her away. There isn’t much time for anything else anyway, as Asher appears more often than not (in the form of Kiefer Sutherland) apparently stalking Costa, and waiting patiently for the best time to strike.

How and why Asher attacks his victims are two very interesting and terrifying aspects of this intricate but effective thriller, one more worried about telling its story than doing its best to confuse the viewers. It’s so NOT filled with distracting clues, that you’ll never see a twist coming… and when it comes, it’ll most likely blow your mind.

Angelina Jolie has always been a very good actress but has had little chance to prove so (she’s really seized her opportunities, however, even becoming an Oscar winner). Here, she’s magnificent. You’ll believe every stage of her character, from tough to sensitive to professional to regretful. She really helps the story flow; I loved her casting. Ditto for Hawke, in my opinion, though some might argue that he gets over-the-top at times. I say he’s perfect for the role as well. Oh, and Gena Rowlands freaked me out, as did that opening scene. Man, that’s scary! In fact, aided by a chilling Philip Glass score, and masterfully edited by Anne V. Coates, the procedures are pretty tense at all times, and you can expect to jump at least once every half hour.

Based on a novel by Michael Pye, adapted by Jon Bokenkamp, this is a very satisfying thriller, if not a perfect one, and definitely not free of plot holes. However, one that guarantees a good time and some very good extra pleasures. I kinda liked it… quite a bit.

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Other reviews of Taking Lives (2004): Morris