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By
WADE GOSSETT
Angelina Jolie is pretty
good as a top FBI profiler invited to Montreal to
assist the locals with a string of gruesome
murders that span at least a decade. She has
unusual techniques and powers of deduction, but
also a frosty demeanor that alienates the other
detectives. Almost immediately, she hones in on a
suspect and determines that the murderer assumes
the lives and identities of his victims after
killing them. What she does not expect is a sudden
sexual and romantic entanglement with the only
victim to have escaped the serial killer (Ethan
Hawke). She knows that it compromises her
objectivity.
Hawke is an always dependable actor, and there are
other elements I liked about the film: Tchéky
Karyo (as a Canadian policeman) always lends a
certain suaveness to any film; director D. J.
Caruso brings enough grimness and dread to keep
one focused; and, the North American setting is
out of the ordinary (although the film was shot in
Quebec City, not Montreal).
However, "Taking Lives" never escapes its B-level
pedigree and remains an unremarkable entry to the
serial killer genre. It may look good, but it
can't get away from the preposterousness of its
own plot. Alert viewers will have no problem
figuring out who's who before the end, and even if
they don't, they'll still find the ending
unsatisfying.
The Director's Cut version is not only in
widescreen, but it differs substantially with the
theatrical version. Not in terms of story, or
ending, but in those far more important areas of
how much sex and gore one can pack in a movie.
There are plenty of both. There's an extended
steamy scene between Jolie and Hawke, with more
aggressive thrusting and nudity. In addition,
there's more gore, especially one scene where a
venerable supporting actress loses her head quite
graphically.
The principal special features include outtakes
(their pleasant, light tone contrasts awkwardly
with the film's gruesomeness) and four featurettes
that are essentially promo pieces.
Bottom line: Still a B-flick, but with more boobs
and blood than was shown in theaters. |
