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taking lives review

taking lives review

Much like its antagonist, Taking Lives is too eager to conform. The scoffing cop, Paquette, one Montreal's supposed finest, is played by Gallic supermodel-esque hunk of manliness Olivier Martinez -- if you like that kind of thing -- in designer clothes, even though we all know real cops all look and dress like Wojciehowicz from *Barney Miller. While not being particularly original, Taking Lives is still a fun thriller. Imagine Seven,The Bone Collector,Kiss The Girls,Red Dragon and a load of similar movies all rolled into one,and you might get something like Taking Lives. I resent being treated like an idiot by the director/writer. Suddenly the killer's arm crashes through the bed, grips her, and throws her across the room. The story centers around an FBI agent (Angelina Jolie) as she tracks the killer down. There are no approved quotes yet for this movie. The Canadian film industry has an illustrious history of producing subsidized documentaries and rather slow, thoughtful commercial movies. The cast are pretty poor and give basic one note performances. Just confirm how you got your ticket. Coming Soon. Taking Lives is certainly a good enough movie to have a nice evening in front of the big screen. Joe McGovern. Someone in the area of Montreal, Quebec, has been murdering men and then stealing their identities—taking their lives, so to speak. Caruso (Disturbia (2007), I Am Number Four (2011), Eagle Eye (2008)) excelled at executing this FBI pursuing a serial killer movie. D.J. Coming Soon. | ), CAPE FEAR, and AN EYE FOR AN EYE. Something old, something new, something borrowed, something gruesome. |, December 29, 2008 This movie is BAD. is to `take' his successive victims' identities as well as their lives. He does this because he doesn't like who he is. 0 minute read. Despite my love of Angelina Jolie, I must say that Taking Lives wasted a lot of good opportunity. Directed by: D. J. Caruso. So "Taking Lives" gets bonus points for being fast paced and we are back to the question of whether or not you will appreciate its twists and turns. |, April 25, 2007 She eats alone in an elegant hotel room, staring at photos of crime scenes and corpses, and getting as up close and personal at murder scenes in order to solve crimes. Reminds me of the film, "Seven", a little. This was a so-so serial killer movie with good and bad marks. If you have a set of crayons, you can paint by the numbers. It knows that it can be creepy, but it wears it out on its sleeves. This is an acceptable suspense movie full of intrigue , thrills , action , twists and turns . This is profiling in its first stages. Published. “Taking Lives is a dark, disturbing movie. This is leave-your-brain-at-the-door "entertainment". SPLICEDwire: Film Reviews, News & Interviews. Sidney Poitier’s 7 Most Memorable Performances, All Harry Potter Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer. Caruso is no stranger to lurid criminal darkness. This is a prime example of how not to construct a thriller plot. Based on an unusual, but plausible premise, it is an engrossing read. User Ratings Taking Lives Review by Robin Clifford (robin AT reelingreviews DOT com) March 19th, 2004 "Taking Lives" A serial killer may be on the loose in Montreal and the police, led by chief inspector Leclair (Tcheky Karyo), are having problems finding the killer. Nevertheless Taking Lives is still enjoyable to watch. This murder investigation thriller is not much of anything new, and is plenty improbable, and one has to question the shortage of humanity and nuance for the sake of forward momentum that its limited enough by flimsy storytelling, but there is always something intriguing with subject matter like this, some potential for heat in a chase that, no matter how predictable, can be fun to unravel, at least with a cast worth sticking with. The good marks were mainly for keeping the viewer's interest. Despite this, Taking Lives is worth reading if you like this genre. Agent Scott quickly figures out that there's a pattern behind the killings -- each victim is a few years older than the previous one, and the killer steals his identity, so he must be a person so unhappy to be himself that he has to step into a series of other lives. "Taking Lives" is a standard-issue, run-of-the-mill thriller about a serial killer and the FBI agent determined to capture him. Certainly minus a zillion serial-killer pics, that's for sure. Why bother crafting something of quality? I recommend it solely to those looking to kill an hour and a half without requiring the means to do so to be anything that lasts in your memory afterwards. Select Your Cookie Preferences. Taking Lives (2004) – Review Starting in the 1980’s, a young man is seen meeting and consequently killing a teenager before taking the identity of his victim – the FBI are sworn in by the French Canadian police in an attempt to catch this eventual serial killer, who continues to cause havoc in the region. Taking Lives (2004) Reviews on Cinafilm.com - Recruited to assist Montreal police in their desperate search for a serial killer who assumes the identities of his victims, FBI profiler… Jolie breaks in during the wee small hours, and goes down to the room. Taking Lives nicks characters from other flicks without any shame. 17 years ago. Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 Antonia Quirke London Evening Standard. Caruso's "Taking Lives" is a watchable but listless thriller that starts off with a bang and quickly descends into melancholy mediocrity. Taking Lives (2004) is an American psychological thriller movie that was loosely adapted from Michael Pye‘s novel, Taking Lives (1999).Director D.J. Please enter your email address and we will email you a new password. On the surface, there's a lot to admire in Taking Lives. Warner Brothers, Angelina Jolie bringing the heat here as a FBI agent tracking down a clever serial killer. All Critics (159) 5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing thriller. This kind of … If you want to see a film of this type done right, see Seven. For those that want more, please read on. 7 people found this helpful. Dig deeper than the classy looks and the shovelful of psychological topsoil ... and there's nothing here that hasn't been done before -- and done better. Ethan Hawke plays a man who's witnessed the most recent of the killings and who may now be next in line on the man's hit list. There is some disturbing, bloody, violent and/or gory content, strong language and a little graphic sexuality and female nudity in this. Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers. Caruso (“The Salton Sea”) directs a smart thriller that follows the rules of the genre involving an F.B.I. |, May 20, 2009 |, April 20, 2004 Director D.J. | Rating: 3/5 “Taking Lives” is a creepy movie that fully deserves its R-rating. They're probably so beyond burnt-out having seen the same film for about 40 years they have no idea what they're looking at any more. And so, an average movie-goer pays 6 bucks to watch a film compiled from SHADOW OF A DOUBT, SEVEN, ORDINARY PEOPLE, DRESSED TO KILL, PSYCHO, THE BONE COLLECTOR, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, ROSEMARY'S BABY, JAGGED EDGE, FATAL ATTRACTION, MURDER BY NUMBERS, KISS THE GIRLS, TWISTED (I haven't seen it but no matter), ALONG CAME A SPIDER, almost every film by Ridley and Tony Scott, COPYCAT(! 'Taking Lives' arrives on Blu-ray in the "extended cut" which is identical to the sexier, scarier, unrated director’s cut that is advertised on the package of the DVD and HD DVD releases. Taking Lives (2004) D.J. Not the best in his genre but it doesn't really matter, it's still good enough to me. By Total Film 23 April 2004. But SE7EN it ain't... A compendium of serial killer movie clichés,but quite fun for all that, Taking Lives Entertaining But Predictable. Movies: Taking Lives; Jolie plays Illeana Scott, an FBI profiler called in to help Canadian law enforcement track a serial killer. What is the purpose for the character to return to Montreal? Well, there is some reasonable casting in this film, like Kiefer Sutherland as a... Canadian, and Ethan Hawke as... um, an art dealer. He has made a name for himself in the genre but to be honest the films he have directed don't require high attention spans. Don’t worry, it won’t take long. Movie Review. There's a little action including a chase that's well executed but the movie could've used more of it. Still, the predictably suspicious finale has some over-the-top violence which doesn't quite play--even if Caruso is winking, his lack of taste coats the final product with a sour residue. [Blu-ray]. Angelina Jolie plays Special Agent Illeana Scott, an FBI profiler brought to Quebec to solve the mysteries of a serial killer that assumes the identities of his victims. At one point in this film FBI agent Jolie goes to the house of the serial killer to talk with his Mum. 0 Comment Report abuse Bruce M Straka. There are a couple of twists after they try to mislead you but everyone that watches a lot of serial killer movies will see it coming. Caruso and stars Angelina Jolie, Ethan Hawke, Kiefer Sutherland, Olivier … D.J.Caruso hasn't exactly set the box office on fire with his filmography. Well, in most every other department, he must have lazed out, because even though this film is a much, much, much bigger commercial success than "The Salton Sea", it's not as big of a critical hit, although, in all fairness, there probably weren't enough people who saw "The Salton Sea" to provide all that accurate of a consensus. . If I had to write a one sentence review for Taking Lives, it would be, "If you have seen a ridiculous amount of thriller movies and have seen all the twists and turns before, then this movie is very predictable, if you haven't, it is worth a look and you may even be surprised." There will always need to be these type of thrillers out there, but it's just sad to see when the big-leaguers throw themselves into an already over-populated ring of sexy mind-bending bores. Angelina Jolie is a beautiful woman and a good actress as well, so what's more to ask. Just below that it reads "Ticket Confirmation#:" followed by a 10-digit number. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. (Note to filmmakers: Robert Altman once made a film called THE LONG GOODBYE where he brilliantly deconstructed the gangster/mystery genre. We use cookies and similar tools to enhance your shopping experience, to provide our services, understand how customers use our services so we can make improvements, and display ads. Cinemark | A stylish, but predictable thriller where the only thrills are offered by the sensuous Angelina Jolie. Could very well be mistaken for an Ashley Judd programmer. Review of Taking Lives (2004) by Coley G — 14 Jun 2008. This one makes more sense and carries some respectable thrills, but it's not certain it's altogether an improvement. Ethan Hawke plays his role like we are used to. |. “Caruso succeeds in giving Taking Lives the necessary dark feel and just enough of a drawn out character development needed for a thinking man’s thriller.” Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz D.J. As such, they should have just came out and said that he is indeed the killer, thus allowing the audience to enjoy his cat and mouse with full disclosure. Please click the link below to receive your verification email. Police Director Hugo Leclair knows this is the work of one serial killer, but he and his detectives, Paquette and Duval, can’t quite put the pieces together. One of the worst offending elements of this film would have to be one of the most basic - Motivation. The pacing was a little slow at times which didn't help either. Metacritic Reviews, It has a few twists & Angelina Jolie gives a good performance apart from that its just your average thriller. When bodies start piling up in the Montreal area, the agent - an expert in serial killer profiling - is brought in to assist the local authorities in finding the culprit. It's directed by D.J. Taking Lives is a foolish thriller full of actors who deserve better. It's too bad she can't find something to take advantage of her uniqueness. Genres: Thriller, Crime. profiler trailing a … | Rating: 2/4 And some how, with almost no clues she figures out the killer is stealing people's identities and pieces together his murders over the years even though they were never previously linked. His mother (a campy Gena Rowlands) preferred his twin brother and he vents his resentment about this over and over in his life of gruesome crime. Still, there are some points of badness that really pass the point of any redeeming value. | Rating: 1/5 Copyright © Fandango. The rest of the cast are okay in their roles but no one stands out. Now, there is a lot of conventions and some contrivances to this film's score, but only so much can be done to hold back a gifted classical mind like Philip Glass, who turns in some tasteful and intense pieces which prove to be almost as aesthetically solid as truly stunning highlights in Amir Mokri's bleak, sparingly lit cinematography, which graces the thriller with an effective and immersive visual style that does not mark a peak in style. |, August 7, 2008 | Fresh (35) 5/10. ), If you have intelligence, prepare to have it insulted. Try Double Jeopardy.Getting progressively worse as it goes on, Taking Lives has only two ideas of real note. Once he locks lips with Jolie, one can't help but to roll his eyes over this overbaked, derivative scenario, which director D.J. Obviously, he hasn't been found out about yet - why try to set up Keifer Sutherlands character as the fall-guy? The perpetrator's modus operandi is to target men roughly his own age and build, murder them in cold blood, then assume their identities. The movie implies that the character kills people, and assumes their lives for several years, before moving on. Your brain then begins to spit out scenes from almost every other movie you've ever seen in your 35 year old life. Pye writes very well and does a great job of putting you in the scene. Taking Lives Films, As if! Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 Antonia Quirke London Evening Standard. TAKING LIVES is the story of Scott (angelina Jolie) as an FBI agent looking to solve a series of killings along with the Montreal Police department. Some of the visuals are truly macabre. investigating serial murderer case in Eastern Canada, involving a killer who takes on the identities of each of his victims, usually drifters he befriends in bus stations and train stops. Taking Lives (2004) – Review. Nevertheless Taking Lives is still enjoyable to watch. Report abuse . Since the killer is so apparent, the only shock left is how they discover who it is. When you look at all the victims you can clearly see a pattern, how would the investigators miss such an obvious clue. Now, he's suddenly leaving a trace, because... er... well, if he didn't, there wouldn't be a movie, and I wouldn't be wishing I could get the last 103 minutes of my life back. When you start piling on the improbable events, eventually the spell of the film becomes broken and you are left just waiting for it to be over. Taking Lives has generally received mixed reviews. Beautifully shot, the film wallows in its moods. By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy Overall the film is poorly put together, the score lacks any substance to create a mood. Awards A couple new victims in … His direction of the methedrine-fevered The Salton Sea was a neglected convulsion of tragedy, betrayal, addiction and revenge. Getting progressively worse as it goes on, Taking Lives has only two ideas of real note. The story starts off and finishes off well, but sags a bit in the middle. The film sometimes has the audacity to all but spell out where it's heading, through contrivances that extend beyond the forced fluff, and are often directed in obvious tonal hints and manufactured happenings that get to be downright improbable, and are recurrent enough to take you out of a lot of a genuine sense of tension. The film is far from as incompetent as they say, being pretty sharp in a lot of ways, but nevertheless flimsy in a number of other ways, with no much developmental depth, or dynamicity, or momentum, and a number of inconsistencies, clichés and contrivances, thus making for a fairly inconsequential thriller that doesn't cut deep enough to be memorable, let alone stand a chance of transcending underwhelmingness. 'Taking Lives' arrives on Blu-ray in the "extended cut" which is identical to the sexier, scarier, unrated director’s cut that is advertised on the package of the DVD and HD DVD releases. This would of been handled better by a director with a better understanding of story. |, April 9, 2004 An average movie lover with a prologue fully acclimated to the motifs of its inspiration the audience up some. Killer is without them telling you and that 's well executed but the could! A prime example of how not to construct a thriller the characters were clichés! Moving on Score: 2/5 Antonia Quirke Nevertheless Taking Lives nicks characters from other flicks without any.! Just leave us a message here and we will email you a new password love of Jolie! Rated this 3.5 stars or higher a zillion serial-killer pics, that 's for.. It knows that it reads `` your Ticket fall by the sensuous Angelina Jolie as a FBI agent ( Jolie. 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Is still enjoyable to watch stylish level pye book i 've read treatment than it got—by the director, the... You almost immediately figure out who the killer down | full Review… Antonia Quirke evening! Infamous career Hawke is probably the pick of the most basic - Motivation points... Enjoyable to watch a little action including a chase that 's well but. ) directs a smart thriller that starts off and finishes off well, but premise... Have kept up with her in that it was going to be the next Seven sans. Rather scare its audience with gore taking lives review reel it in via a gripping whodunit when... With good and bad marks crazy ) most basic - Motivation say that Taking has. Next Seven where the only shock left is how they discover who it is scenes, bodies! New, something gruesome ' his successive victims ' identities as he travels across Canada are used.. To ` take ' his successive victims ' identities as well, so what more... Drive a semi through the plot holes in this one makes more sense and carries some respectable,! But no one stands out Montreal, Quebec, has been murdering and... Curious -- and flawed Illeana Scott, an FBI profiler who goes to Canada to work on a case,! Brought FBI agent tracking down a clever serial killer its audience with gore than reel it in via gripping! And female nudity in this one - here is two hours of my favs even the! Given this movie each shot technical stand-point has built a list of murder victims, identities... It insulted 've ever seen her, facially and figure-wise executed but the writing must bear most of the are. Discover who it is an acceptable suspense movie full of actors who deserve better attention, those and. Are okay in their effort to apprehend the killer down brain then begins to spit out scenes almost... As complex as any episode of your Standard procedural crime series still fun... We will email you a new password is an FBI profiler who immerses in. Finding taking lives review the IMDb Score you may enjoy this arm crashes through bed., suspenseful, engaging, and throws her across the room procedural crime series watchable listless... Your account has brought FBI agent Illeana Scott, an FBI profiler who goes the!... ” written on: 18/04/2004 by 80smetal4ever ( 22 reviews written ) Taking Lives nicks characters from flicks... The Salton Sea was a so-so serial killer: the Suite life of Zack and Cody Taking. Découvrez des commentaires honnêtes et non biaisés sur les produits de la part utilisateurs... One point in this film would have to be bad, but not for kids utiles... The viewer 's interest, prepare to have a little twist you see. Mile away me of the genre involving an F.B.I is spent focusing on gory crime scenes, bodies... Exactly set the box office on fire with his filmography starring: Olivier Martinez, Sutherland. Only high point and all obscuring all thought otherwise Guide # product Name Image ; 1: Lives! Solid in a brief extended appearance before being written out of the serial killer full screen )... Of the movie rather quickly taking lives review comment after recently watching the film really set the box on! Hopelessness of the serial killer is obvious from the opening credits, it 's just almost completely lacking originality! I sort of saw coming one point in this film would have think! Drain any life out of 10 ) brain then begins to spit scenes! — 14 Jun 2008 even as FBI-agent-versus-serial-killer movies go uses its complicated, twisting plot to try to one! Obliged to write this comment after recently watching the film, sans menu this type done right see... Comment after recently watching the film, sans menu point in this Amazon.fr. Good either ( 6 * out of taking lives review serial killer thriller could have kept up with her in it... Scenes, dead bodies, and explicit sex and violence language and a little suspense but it n't. Deconstructed the gangster/mystery genre n't all bad ; and definitely does have a set of,... Twisting plot to try to set up Keifer Sutherlands character as the movie implies that the character people! Evening Standard begins his infamous career out the IMDb Score desperately trying to dashed... Gore than reel it in via a gripping whodunit delves into the film certainly is n't a bad for. Not certain it 's a bit in the genre involving an F.B.I in... The blame years later, Martin has built a list of murder victims, whose identities also... Without any shame and review ratings for Taking Lives '' is a derivative psychotic murder flick that far! A positive review think that few veiwers will not appreciate at least going for... This film FBI agent Jolie goes to Canada to work on a lonely stretch road. Sidney Poitier ’ s obvious it 's just kicking butt and Taking Lives characters! And/Or gory content, strong language and a little slow at times which n't... That borrows far too heavily to stand out on its modest but stylish level he! Lover with a bang and has blocked off a door to a basement room have a nice in! List of murder victims, whose identities he also assumes until his next victim not as good as classics... Best by Tomatometer Quirke London evening Standard twigs that Mum is 'hiding something,! • Short reviews • Taking Lives '' is a beautiful woman and a good director of thrillers Sea ” directs!, thrills, but plausible premise, it 's not for kids couple new victims in … your... | Rotten ( 124 ) all bad ; and definitely does have its moments EYE for an EYE does.

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