Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
I like DJ Caruso. Good guy. His SALTON SEA was a nice, overlooked little crime film that featured one of the best Val Kilmer performances in years. I’m rooting for him on this new film, even if I think the trailer is sort of standard, cookie-cutter thriller stuff, and I’m curious to see what these two reviewers think of it:
Hey Moriarty,
When I first got recruited to see a “new thriller” I immediately started dreaming of being one of the first people to see the Tony Scott movie with Denzel, MAN ON FIRE. How much does that trailer rock? Anyway, I quickly realized that I’m wasn’t that lucky. No Tony Scott/Denzel movie for me tonight. I was about to see TAKING LIVES.
I have seen the TAKING LIVES trailer several times over the past few weeks and thought it looked pretty good. As I sat there bummed that my Tony Scott pipedream wouldn’t come true, I found myself instantly pulled into the movie by the simplicity and brutality of the first murder and the creepy credits that followed.
Quick breakdown of the plot. It’s pretty simple. Jolie plays an FBI profiler brought to Montreal to help catch a serial killer. She quickly figures out that the Killer’s M.O. is to assume the lives and identities of the people he kills and move on. After Ethan Hawke witnesses the killer kill his latest victim, he is brought in for questioning. Jolie’s style is rubbing the local cops the wrong way. After Jolie convinces Ethan to help by being the bait for the killer. She starts to get emotionally involved with Ethan (SEX SCENE), making her job a bit more confusing. Kiefer Sutherland also joins in. He is complete freak in the few scenes he is in. BTW, I like that somehow Kiefer has come back from career death in the past two years.
Jolie’s recent performances have been so over the top, that I wanted to ignore her. But I couldn’t. She’s believable in this role, because she is flawed, sorta like Clarice Starling. Ethan’s performance is also solid. I was actually impressed at how well he handled Jolie in the sex scene. As soon as that scene started I was like, give me a break, there is no way he can handle her. But, I have to say, Ethan stepped up and made me proud.
I’ll admit it... I’m a bitter screenwriter who gets off on critizing plots. But everytime I started questioning it, one of the twists kicked in and moved me in another direction. I had no fucking idea where it was going, but it took me to a pretty hardcore but cool ending.
Well, after being all geeked up to watch a balls out Tony Scott movie, I got a Caruso movie instead. Caruso? Who the hell is that? Checked him out on IMDB and found out he did that Val Kilmer movie last year, Salton Sea. Haven’t seen it, but I will now.
Well my limp wristed writing style is starting to hurt me…… so I’m out……
Later,
Lamar Latrell
And here’s another POV. Did they like it, too?
Hey Harry,
Long time reader, first time writer, that whole deal... I had the "pleasure" of attending a screening of the upcoming thriller from Warner Bros. "Taking Lives" starring Angelina Lips and Ethan Hawke. I won't go in depth with the plot, that information can be found elsewhere, but it is a serial killer film centered around a killer that inhabits the lives and personalities of those he kills. Jolie is the required brilliant FBI agent that can "get into their minds" while Ethan Hawke plays a witness to one of the murders, and he claims to the police that he has seen and can identify the elusive killer.
So begins what is ultimately a stupid, pointless film. There are so many plot holes in this film, for example: if this killer is merely killing people and then inhabiting their lives and walking around. wouldn't SOMEONE have reported that a guy who is supposed to be dead is in fact alive and well? Also, the motivations for the killer are weak as hell. Sorry, but murderers don't begin killing because of a death in the family. The first two thirds of the film are well paced and fairly good, but then the usual plot twist arrives (which is not suprising at all) and the film quickly goes downhill. There is a ridiculous climax involving a pregnant Jolie that made me roll my eyes continuously. Kiefer Sutherland is effective for the five minutes of screentime that he has. Yes, that's right, he is one of the top billed stars in the film and he is in literally TWO SCENES.
Whatever. The directing is generally effective, and the film was done by DJ Caruso who did some awesome work on Salton Sea. Caruso seems to suffer here by not being able to tighten the film. The structure and tone of Taking Lives veers from a tight serial killer film to a misguided attempt at character layering for both Jolie and Hawke's characters, which comes off as laughable. The dialogue in a scene in which the killer confronts his mother is again, ridiculous and cheesy. I cannot understand how so many talented actors and even a talented director such as Caruso signed on to do such a stupid film. It is yet another completely forgettable entry into an already tired genre.
Avoid it.
Spidermonkey
Ouch. Harsh words, indeed. And the spring release date certainly doesn’t smack of confidence. I know I’ll see because I liked his last movie, but I have no idea what to expect. Cross your fingers, folks...
"Moriarty" out.
