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"Taking Lives" Takes More Creativity
by Timothy (movies profile)
Jul 17, 2007
16
of
18 people found this review helpful
I am a big fan of the film "Se7en". In fact, it is in my Top 5 favorite films of all time. I sit around and wonder when a thriller so clever will come along and leave an impression in my memory as "Se7en" did years ago. Sadly a majority of thrillers since then have tried to be just as dark and clever as this film, yet are only remembered as mediocre copycats that mock style, but fail in substance. "Taking Lives" is one of those films.
"Taking Lives" is another whodunit that deals with a serial killer that goes from victim to victim every two years. The killer murders a person, steals their identity, and lives their life. "Like a hermit crab", says Illeana (Angelina Jolie). Illeana is an FBI profiler called to Canada where the killer's last victim was found. Of course, she is the best of the best at her job. She can walk into a room, see a cardboard ceiling tile with a corner chip missing, and know there must be a corpse up there. With the assistance of a shaken witness (Ethan Hawke), Illeana uses her keen criminal detection to find this crazy man.
I will say that "Taking Lives" tries way too hard to resemble morbid psychopath tales such as "Silence of the Lambs" and especially "Se7en". From the opening credits with flashing effects to the "shocking" twist ending, this is not a flick I haven't seen before. This is a movie that relies on the whodunit formula, not to mention constantly making things jump out and scare you. Plus, maybe I have just seen too many movies, but I found this film predictable from the very first frame. Film critic, Richard Roeper, made mention of how much the film's twist ending shocked him, but I have to say that I saw it coming.
I was impressed with Angelina Jolie's performance. Nothing Oscar-worthy, but for some reason I expected her character to exhibit a dark, Morticia Adams-like personality. She came through as more of a down-to-earth type. Ethan Hawke is a talented actor, but I was not sure if he worked well in this role. The same applies for Kiefer Sutherland who has very little screen time. I was disappointed that a scene-stealer such as Sutherland was not given the opportunity to receive a well-deserved chunk of the movie.
I would like to say I am disappointed in director, D.J. Caruso who directed a fantastic sleeper in 2002 called "The Salton Sea." However, the direction is acceptable here. It is material, for the most part, that does not work. If you do not care how one serial killer film compares to another, then you may enjoy "Taking Lives", but observant as I am I could detect nothing but cliches and borrowed methods. This is an alright effort, but does not attain status as a top-notch thriller in my book. |
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