Taking Lives

Reviewed by:
Paul Ulane

As we expected, the shameless and most assuredly supple Angelina Jolie boob shot is the most engaging part of Taking Lives. The remainder of this cat-and-mouse murder mystery, centering on a serial killer who steals the identities of his victims, falls flat on its bashed-in face.

Jolie plays FBI special agent Illeana Scott, who’s called up to Montreal to help with a local homicide investigation. Her unconventional methods—lying down in murder sites, browsing gruesome photos over dinner, pursing her unconventional lips—earn little respect from the local fuzz already assigned to the case. But their differences soon take a backseat to a strange witness (Ethan Hawke) who either is or is not leading them closer to the killer, but exposes new clues nonetheless. Jolie strikes out again as the strong-willed woman who eventually gives in to the wrong man, while the ads teasing Kiefer Sutherland are grossly misleading. The rest is all recycled Hollywood thriller tripe that might not take your life, but sure as hell will take away two solid hours that could have been spent doing something far more purposeful—like writing, filming, and starring in a better movie.

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