Like
"Twisted" and "Secret Window,"
"Taking Lives" is another psychological thriller
that really clicked for me. Maybe I'm just a
sucker for these kinds of movies, but if you're as much a
sucker as me, you might share my feelings.
The movie centers on a case involving a serial
killer, who takes on the identities of his victims. The
setting is Montreal, and assigned to the case is FBI agent
Angelina Jolie. She's looked down by her male
colleagues because of her gender, but possesses much
knowledge of the criminal mind and turns out to be a
huge asset in catching the killer. One day an
artist (Ethan Hawke) witnesses the killer bashing his
victim with a rock, and gets called in for
questioning. Eventually, the FBI turns him into
bait, as he also becomes an asset in catching the killer.
Divulging any information from that point on would be
giving too much away. The movie is darkly
lit, like a quintessential film noir, and it really helps
add to the creepy tone. Like you'd expect, there's a
final plot twist and it's a good one indeed. The
performances are good, though Jolie's incredible
beauty sometimes gets in the way of me believing her as a
FBI agent, who's constantly willing to get her hands
dirty. Though he still needs lessons in vocabulary,
Olivier Martinez has proven to be a fine actor with much
charisma. You've got Angelina for the guys and Olivier
for the ladies. There's something for everybody!
"Taking Lives" is a solid murder mystery, for
fans of psychological thrillers like "The
Silence of the Lambs" and "Se7en."
If you're one of those fans, you'll have a hell of a time!
