Review of Taking Lives (2004) by Lorenzo V — 18 Jun 2009

"He would kill to be you.".

An FBI profiler is called in by French Canadian police to catch a serial killer who takes on the identity of each new victim.

REVIEW.

There's nothing particularly bad about Taking Lives - at least if there was a cement mixer somewhere to fill in the plot holes. In many ways it's an above average thriller about a serial killer being hunted by lovely FBI agent Angelina Jolie, who manages to be far more alluring than any FBI agent has the right to be. There's several shocks worthy of making you jump out of your seat, a generous and tasty smattering of gruesome body parts, a car chase, explosion and some nudity. It's main flaw perhaps is that it goes on far too long, and our suspension of disbelief is teetering too precariously for comfort. The basic premise is that the serial killer escapes detection by taking on the identity of his victims. We get some very brief overview shots suggesting how he maybe achieves this from a technical point of view, but when the expected twist at the end outstays its welcome in a very extended coda involving Jolie saving the day by 'dazzling insight' into the killer's mind that soon looks too much like a writer's fantasy: it is then that we start asking ourselves if the main plot was actually believable. Entertaining enough if your expectations aren't too high, but one does wonder when Angelina Jolie is going to take on roles worthy of her not inconsiderable acting ability after this.