Segue Zagnut has managed to break into yet another test screening... this time it was Philip Noyce's THE BONE COLLECTOR. We haven't heard very much on this film thus far... but well... We can now expect at least a report from John Robie coming in soon enough.... I'll give this on over to Segue.... bye...
Head Geek
My name is Segue Zagnut. I listened. I watched. Now, I must tell you too much. I saw Bone Collector tonight, the new film from Philip Noyce (Dead Calm, Clear and Present Danger). It stars Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. Yes, I did say Angelina Jolie. I went with John Robie and once again he stole our way in. No tickets. No line. No problem.
Denzel plays an ex-investigator for the NYPD who is a specialist in crime scenes. He is a legend in the force having written the crime scene manual that rookies read in the academy and several popular fiction detective novels. He is also a quadriplegic, which they explain is why he is no longer on the force. Between that and the occasional intense seizure, which has the risk of making him a vegetable, Denzel's character no longer wants to live. In fact the first scene after the opening credits is Denzel talking his doctor into assisting his 'suicide' which they agree to do the upcoming Sunday.
Angelina Jolie plays a cop who basically stumbles on an outdoor homicide and has the smarts to quickly take photos and carefully collect evidence before a rainstorm destroys it. She also has the balls to stand on the tracks and stop an Amtrak train from doing the same. None of which earns her kudos from the stereotypical hard ass captain Cheny, played by Michael Rooker. However, Denzel thinks she's brilliant, so when his old police buddies beg for his help solving the murders, he insist that Jolie be involved. That's the set-up and the rest of the film we watch Denzel call the shots while Jolie does the foot work.
Most of the film is very strong and intriguing. The chemistry between Denzel and Jolie works. Jolie makes the character real and personal. And, of course, she is one of the most beautiful actresses alive, which certainly doesn't hurt her. Denzel's performance is remarkable considering that all the acting is neck up and you barely even notice. Queen Latifah plays Denzel's live in nurse who does a nice job of adding dimension to the story without being an awkward sidekick or stupid comic relief. The story builds Latifah with subtlety and charm and she does it justice. The mood, the setting, the story all work for a reasonably well crafted suspense thriller except for two major problems: Rooker's character and the ending. As it stands right now the ending kills the film. It puts the film with Kiss the Girls or Copycat, instead of where it belongs with Silence of the Lambs and Seven.
**Spoilers** First Rooker's character is predictable and tired. Once again it's the prick captain who against all reason would rather stop the investigation than have Denzel be right. Oh and as the 'surprise' twist it sets him up to look like the killer. When Jolie figures out that Denzel is the next target, the film spirals into stale tricks and useless predictability. Still portraying Rooker as the killer, the film follows him to Denzel's front door. Then from inside we see Latifah open the door and get killed for no reason except to get her out of the way. But wait, the killer is not Rooker, it's the medical technician we've only seen once before. And because absolutely nothing in the film sets up his motive, he then takes just long enough to explain it that Jolie arrives to shoot him and save the day. The Al Pacino film Sea of Love had a similar surprise character, but when you look for the foreshadowing the whole movie sets it up. This film does not. In fact all the other murders in Bone Collector are extensively planed and complicated. And no explanation is given for why the killer chooses right then. Or why this one is messy and random. Or why when all the other murders are recreated exactly from a book, this one is not. They have to make the end tie in with the rest of the movie. Seven did an incredible job of tying every murder together to the climax, why can't this one. And why kill Latifah? It doesn't shock or surprise or even tell the story, it just makes her character a waste of time. The only part of the finish that works, is Denzel's transition from wanting to die to fighting for his life. Presumably because Jolie inspires him to live, something their platonic chemistry sells well.
All said, this film could be great. I suppose that properly done it could even have sequels.
But for now, I've said too much. Segue Zagnut
