Taking Lives (2004)

Directed by: DJ Caruso | 103 minutes | drama, thriller, crime | Actors: Angelina Jolie, Ethan Hawke, Kiefer Sutherland, Olivier Martinez, Tchéky Karyo, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Gena Rowlands, Paul Dano, Justin Chatwin, André Lacoste, Billy Two Rivers, Richard Lemire, Julien Poulin, Marie-Josée Croze, Christian Tessier

Angelina Jolie is at her best in this movie. As the somewhat eccentric profiler Illeana Scott (what normal person willingly lies in someone else’s grave to solve a murder case?), she stands her ground in the most blood-curdling situations, tactfully silencing macho figures like Detective Paquette (Olivier Martinez). to lay. Ethan Hawke also plays his part with gusto. He is art dealer James Costa, a witness in one of the murder cases Scott has to solve and a nice guy with a twist. Moreover, the chemistry between Jolie and Hawke is right. Their slowly blossoming romance is portrayed in a credible way.

The film is mainly a one-two punch between Hawke and Jolie because of the plot. Renowned actors such as Jean-Hugues Anglade and Tchéky Karyo have only a supporting role. Kiefer Sutherland and Olivier Martinez (the former can only be seen for five minutes in the film, but was given a prominent place in the credits) are also in the background. Martinez is also very convincing as the clumsy, grumpy and not very woman-friendly Paquette. It is to be hoped for his current girlfriend, the pop star Kylie Minogue, that he shows few such traits in real life.

The story of ‘Taking Lives’ is based on a novel by British author Michael Pye. However, Illeana Scott does not appear in this novel. It was conceived by script writer Jon Bokenkamp. After reading “Taking Lives,” Bokenkamp decided that the serial killer in the story should also be exposed from the point of view of the people trying to track him down. That’s how he came up with the idea of ​​a female profiler, whose own personal background should be as mysterious and intriguing as that of the killer. Illeana Scott is definitely not an open book. She has a cool, aloof attitude towards those she works with. She puts all her passion into her work, and she is one of the best in her field. But she too is only human, and as the story progresses, her weaknesses become apparent.

The director of ‘Taking Lives’, DJ Caruso, is best known for ‘The Salton Sea’ (2002), an excellent psychological thriller starring Val Kilmer. ‘The Salton Sea’ was Caruso’s debut as a film director. Before that, he worked as a TV director, and worked on TV series such as ‘Smallville’ and ‘Dark Angel’.

‘Taking Lives’ contains enough tense moments to keep you interested until the end, but the plot twists are not very surprising. The viewer is briefly put on the wrong track, but then quickly discovers how the situation really works. This film is a well-made thriller that rises above mediocrity only through the acting of the two protagonists.