Movie Review – Taking Lives
Principal Cast : Angela Jolie, Ethan Hawke, Kiefer Sutherland, Olivier Martinez, Tcheky Karyo, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Gena Rowlands.
Synopsis: A murder spree in Montreal, with the killer embracing his victims’ identities, leads to an investigation by the FBI agent Illeana Scott. Her bond with an art dealer is crucial to solving the case.
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Taking Lives, a supposed psychological thriller directed by D.J. Caruso, is an unfortunate misfire in nearly every conceivable way. Despite its star-studded cast, the film fails to deliver the suspense and intrigue one would expect from the genre. Laden with clichés, a predictable plot, and underdeveloped characters, Taking Lives struggles to engage the audience, leaving a bland and unsatisfying cinematic experience. What could have been a riveting cat-and-mouse game turns into a plodding and uninspired ordeal.
Taking Lives follows FBI profiler Illeana Scott (Angelina Jolie), who is called to Canada to help catch a serial killer, Martin Asher (Ethan Hawke), who assumes the identities of his victims. As Scott delves into the case, she crosses paths with Asher’s mother, Mrs. Asher (Gena Rowlands), and interacts with Detective Joseph Paquette (Olivier Martinez) and a suspicious figure named Christopher Hart (Kiefer Sutherland). Scott’s investigation becomes complicated by her romantic involvement with James Costa (Hawke), a key witness, as she navigates a web of deceit and danger.
The plot of Taking Lives is one of its most glaring weaknesses. The story meanders without direction, relying heavily on tired tropes and contrived twists that do little to maintain tension. The identity-swapping premise, which could have been fascinating, is handled clumsily, leaving gaping plot holes and nonsensical character decisions. The supposed twists are telegraphed far in advance, sapping any potential shock or surprise. The film’s climax, intended to be a thrilling conclusion, falls flat due to its predictability and lack of emotional weight. Equally problematic is the lack of genuine thrills in a film marketed as a psychological thriller. The suspenseful moments feel forced and artificial, with the direction and pacing failing to build any real tension. Instead of edge-of-your-seat excitement, the audience is subjected to a series of uninspired chase sequences and half-hearted confrontations. The film’s attempts at horror are laughably ineffective, relying on cheap jump scares and overused horror clichés that undermine any potential fear or anxiety.
The characters in Taking Lives are equally disappointing. Angelina Jolie’s Illeana Scott, while given the appearance of a competent and experienced profiler, lacks depth and nuance. Her character’s motivations are unclear, and her actions often defy logic. The romantic subplot with Ethan Hawke’s James Costa feels forced and detracts from the main narrative, adding unnecessary melodrama. Hawke’s performance is similarly unremarkable, his character never fully developed or convincing as either a witness or a killer. An awkwardly passionless (for the viewer) sex scene between Jolie and Hawke might actually make your skin crawl, it’s so pointlessly injected into the plot. The supporting cast, including Kiefer Sutherland and Olivier Martinez, are wasted in roles that offer little to no substance or development. The characters’ interactions are stilted and lack chemistry, further diminishing the film’s overall impact: everyone looks and sounds bored here.
Taking Lives also suffers from a lacklustre visual style and uninspired direction. D.J. Caruso’s handling of the film is disappointingly pedestrian, with bland cinematography and uninspired set pieces. The film’s dark and moody aesthetic feels generic rather than atmospheric, and the use of Montreal as a setting is squandered with little to no distinctive visual flair. The film’s score, by Philip Glass, while competent, fails to elevate the material or inject any real sense of urgency or dread.
Taking Lives is a deeply flawed and forgettable entry in the psychological thriller genre. With its ineffective plot, lack of genuine thrills, and weak character development, the film fails to engage or entertain. Despite the presence of talented actors like Angelina Jolie and Ethan Hawke (who have very little legitimate screen chemistry), the film squanders their potential with a script that offers little substance or originality. For a film that promises tension and excitement, Taking Lives delivers neither, resulting in a tedious and uninspired viewing experience.
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