Taking Lives Review

Taking Lives
Jolie plays Illeana Scott, an FBI profiler called in to help Canadian law enforcement track a serial killer. The killer travels across the country, assuming his victim's identities and lives (hence the title). Scott must learn to work in an unfamiliar envnivorment with a hostile team in order to catch her man.

by Jo Berry |
Published on
Release Date:

27 Sep 2004

Running Time:

103 minutes

Certificate:

15

Original Title:

Taking Lives

Angelina Jolie is enjoyably tough as the FBI profiler called to Montreal to help the local police (led by Tchéky Karyo) find a serial killer who takes on his victims' identities in this so-so thriller from The Salton Sea director, Caruso.

The main problem is there just aren't that many suspects to keep us puzzling who the killer may turn out to be - is it the artist (Hawke) who has come forward saying he witnessed and tried to stop one of the murders? Or the mysterious man we see occasionally lurking in the shadows (Sutherland)? One of the Canadian cops (Martinez) is a bit on the grumpy side - could it in fact be him? It's not hard to figure it out, but Caruso manages to throw in some tense moments (especially the surprising prologue, and a gruesome house search reminiscent of Seven) that almost - but sadly not quite - make up for the film's daft ending.

A thriller with not enough possibilities to keep us guessing, or thrilled.
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