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Taking Lives (2004)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:152
Fresh:35
Rotten:117
Average Rating:4.6/10
Consensus: A stylish, but predictable thriller where the only thrills are offered by the sensuous Angelina Jolie.
Runtime: 1 hr 46 mins
Genre: Dramas
US Box Office: $32,634,479
Synopsis: A top FBI profiler, Special Agent Illeana Scott (Academy Award-winner ANGELINA JOLIE) doesn't rely on traditional crime-solving techniques to unravel the mysteries of a murderous mind. Her... A top FBI profiler, Special Agent Illeana Scott (Academy Award-winner ANGELINA JOLIE) doesn't rely on traditional crime-solving techniques to unravel the mysteries of a murderous mind. Her intuitive, unconventional approach is often the only way to unlock the identities of the killers for the police to capture. When Montreal detectives handling a local homicide investigation reluctantly ask for an outsider's help to get inside the head of a cunning serial killer, Agent Scott joins the case. With meticulous insight, she theorizes that the chameleon-like killer is "life-jacking" - assuming the lives and identities of his victims. As the pressure mounts to catch the elusive murderer, Agent Scott's unorthodox methods alienate her from a territorial police team that feels threatened by her uncanny abilities. Her seemingly cold demeanor belies an unparalleled passion for her work, and she's at her best when she's working alone. But when an unexpected attraction sparks a complicated romantic entanglement, the consummate specialist begins to doubt her finely honed instincts. Alone in an unfamiliar city with no one she can trust, Agent Scott suddenly finds herself on a twisted and terrifying journey, surrounded by suspects in a case that has become chillingly personal. [More]
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Ethan Hawke, Kiefer Sutherland, Olivier Martinez
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Ethan Hawke, Kiefer Sutherland, Olivier Martinez, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Tcheky Karyo, Gena Rowlands
Director: D.J. Caruso
Director: D.J. Caruso
Screenwriter: Jon Bokenkamp
Producer: Mark Canton, Bernie Goldmann
Composer: Philip Glass
Studio: Warner Bros.
Reviews for Taking Lives
Looks great, holds our attention and – despite numerous stumbles – never completely falls on its face.
The best bet might have been to ditch the tedious police procedural and just let the flick turn into the shamelessly jumpy creep fest it was born to be.
Caruso constantly takes the movie down blind alleys while emptying his always-handy crime-movie handbook of every artificial plot device.
...Jolie's Scott is just not tough enough to overcome her incredible beauty and make us believe she can get down and dirty when it counts.
Dig deeper than the classy looks and the shovelful of psychological topsoil ... and there's nothing here that hasn't been done before -- and done better.
Taking Lives is so lifeless and beside the point that its DVD version should skip letterboxing and just be shown in a heavy chalk outline.
The curse of the Best Supporting Actress Oscar lives on....With Zen-like purity, Jolie has boiled her acting style down to pursing her lips and darting her eyeballs.
Angelina Jolie did a good job but I still can’t get past her “plastic fantastic” look.
Jolie is one of those actresses like Ashley Judd who are capable of giving good performances in good movies, but for undisclosed reasons have decided not to.
A-list actors and stylish direction by D.J. Caruso conceal the story's weaknesses for a while ... By the pseudo-shocking end, we're half-entertained by the dedicated cast and half-lulled to sleep by the dull, overfamiliar sounds they make.
Taking Lives is actually an effective thriller, on its modest but stylish level.
An unimaginative, protracted gore-fest that swipes from David Fincher's Seven like a cinematic pickpocket but only comes up with lint.
Taking Lives serves up one letdown after another -- a serial disappointment if ever there was one.
The film's villain may take fictitious lives, but the film itself takes up real time that could be spent on better things.
Latest News for Taking Lives
June 07, 2007:
Has Fox Chosen a "Wolverine" Director?
According to one source, the studio has the "Wolverine" director's job down to a lead candidate ... and a backup choice. More...
March 13, 2006:
Shia LaBeouf Will Star In DreamWorks' "Disturbia"
Per the Hollywood Reporter, Shia LaBeouf ("The Greatest Game Ever Played") will star in DreamWorks' new thriller, "Disturbia," which will be that studio's... More...
April 14, 2005:
Actors Sign Up for a Taste of "Blood and Chocolate"
Annette Curtis Klause's "Blood and Chocolate" is being adapted for the big screen, courtesy of MGM/Sony. The Hollywood Reporter says its "about a teenage werewolf... More...
March 08, 2004:
Director D.J. Caruso (The Salton Sea) shows promise. But when’s the last time Jolie starred in a really good movie? ![]()
More...
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