Take this movie. Away. Please.
Having to sit through the new thriller Taking Lives
made me want to take my own. A convoluted mish-mash, this latest entry in the
overcrowded “serial killer on the loose” genre is crippled by countless clichés,
a bevy of bad performances, and a script that relies on coincidence far too
often.
Angelina Jolie plays Illeana Scott, an FBI profiler who is so good at her
job, you’d think she had psychic abilities. And just why in the world is she
in a grave when we first meet her? Nothing is made clear by director D.J. Caruso
and screenwriter Jon Bokenkamp — and Jolie doesn’t help matters with reactions
that run the gamut from giddy to despondent, none of them convincing.
Apparently FBI agent Scott never goes to the movies. Otherwise, she would
already recognize the roster of stereotypical characters and situations she
encounters. Take, for example, one particularly brutal killer who sizes up his
victims, kills them, assumes their identities, and then lives their lives until
he gets bored and kills again. He has to be a master at make-up and be pretty
handy at fashioning oral prosthetics and other appearance-altering gizmos, skills
we’re simply suppose to assume he was born with and has the means to execute.
But why quibble about one stereotype when there are so many? There’s the tough
cop who resents outsiders. The cop’s partner who, of course, gets killed. And
the prime suspect who, drumroll please, may just be an innocent bystander. Compounding
things are the inane actions undertaken by the characters, as well as action
scenes that have no meaningful relationship to the plot.
Films like Taking Lives, which treat audiences as though they’re morons,
simply ask to be eviscerated.
What other critics are saying. . .
Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London [PG] Frankie Muniz is secret
agent Cody Banks on his second adventure. “Agent Cody Banks 2 may have
a difficult time appealing to young girls without Hilary Duff on board.”
(Ed Gonzalez, Slant magazine) ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
Barbershop 2: Back in Business [PG-13] Spend another day with the crew
at Calvin’s [Ice Cube] barbershop on Chicago’s South Side. “Cube is still
adorable, but the potentially poppin’ battle between the shop and big-box competitor
Nappy Cuts gets obscured by sloppy chronology and flat, cartoonish politicos.”
(Laura Sinagra, Village Voice) White Oaks
Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen [PG] Lola’s family moves from New
York City to the burbs in New Jersey. Lola sets her sights on winning the lead
in a school play while fantasizing about her favorite rock group. When she gets
word the group’s disbanding, she pulls out all the stops to make their farewell
concert. Not reviewed. Parkway Pointe
The Cuckoo [PG-13] An antiwar fable set in September 1944. A Lapp widow,
who is a reindeer farmer, takes in a Finnish sniper and an injured Russian,
touching off a three-way comedic drama of desire and distrust, further fueled
by the three characters’ inability to understand one another. Russian film,
in Russian, Finnish and Saami with subtitles. Tickets: $7; $1.50 (students with
ID) “A winning piece of folk art from an isolated way of life, worth a look
for those who want to see the world in all its quirky and earthy forms.” (Michael
Booth, Denver Post) White Oaks
Dawn of the Dead [R] Flesh-eating zombies are after a nurse (Sarah
Polley), a cop (Ving Rhames), and a few others who are holed up in a shopping
mall. “While I’ll definitely always prefer the original, the remake has
earned its place in the dead series.” (Joshua Tyler, Cinemablend.com) ShowPlace
West, ShowPlace East
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind [R] After Joel (Jim Carrey) learns
that his girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet) has the memories of their relationship
erased, he decides to do the same. Though his memories gradually fade, he starts
to remember how they first fell in love, and now he can’t get her out of his
mind. “A remarkable film that can coax a smile about making the same mistakes
in love and then sneak up and quietly break your heart.” (Peter Travers, Rolling
Stone) Parkway Pointe Art
50 First Dates [PG-13] Veterinarian Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) enjoys
dating women on vacation, but leaves his playboy life after he meets Lucy (Drew
Barrymore). Alas, Lucy suffers from short-term memory loss, forcing Henry to
woo her every day. ShowPlace West
Hidalgo [PG-13] The story of a Pony Express courier (Viggo Mortensen)
who travels to Saudi Arabia to compete with his horse, Hidalgo, in a dangerous
race for a massive contest prize. “Nothing kills my Viggo jones like a
bad western set in the Arabian Desert.” (Jeanne Aufmuth, Palo Alto Weekly)
ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King [PG-13] Final part of trilogy,
as hobbits Frodo and Sam journey to Mount Doom in Mordor. “As a model for
how to bring substance, authenticity and insight to the biggest of adventure
yarns, this trilogy will not soon, if ever, find its equal.” (Kenneth Turan,
Los Angeles Times) ShowPlace West
Miracle [PG] The story of the U.S. hockey team that beat the favored
Soviet team in the 1980 Winter Olympics, then went on to win the gold. “An
effective exercise in flag-waving nostalgia.” (Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune)
ShowPlace West
The Passion of the Christ [R] Mel Gibson’s version of the last 12 hours
of Jesus Christ’s life. “The sacrifice Gibson’s Jesus makes is purely physical.
The violence to which he is subjected is portrayed to the point of being gratuitous
and manipulative.” (Chuck Koplinski, Illinois Times)ShowPlace
East, Parkway Pointe
Secret Window [PG-13] A recently-divorced writer (Johnny Depp) is stalked
by a man who claims he stole his idea. “Johnny Depp is hotter than ever,
so scheduling a movie like this to open so soon after the Academy Awards is
a very clever move on Columbia’s part.” (Ed Gonzalez, Slant magazine) ShowPlace
West, ShowPlace East
Spartan [R] Two detectives (Val Kilmer, William H. Macy) must rescue
the president’s kidnapped daughter, but as the case gets complicated, they uncover
another crime with roots in the White House. “A white slavery ring? Yippie!
David Mamet tackles another hot-button issue.” (Ed Gonzalez, Slant magazine)
Parkway Pointe
Starsky & Hutch [PG-13]Two streetwise cops (Ben Stiller
and Owens Wilson) bust criminals in their red-and-white Ford Torino with the
help of police snitch called Huggy Bear (Snoop Dogg). Based on the ’70s TV series.
“Finally, the out-of-the-closet Starsky and Hutch!” (Victoria Alexander,
Filmsinreview.com) ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
Taking Lives [R] An FBI profiler (Angelina Jolie) is called in by French
Canadian police to catch a serial killer who takes on the identity of each new
victim. “Director D.J. Caruso (The Salton Sea) shows promise. But when’s
the last time Jolie starred in a really good movie?” (Susannah Gora, Premiere
magazine) ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
Touching the Void [NR] The true story of two climbers and their perilous
journey up the west face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985. “The
photography is awesome, inspiring many ‘How did they get that shot?’ moments.”
(Jami Bernard, New York Daily News) Parkway Pointe Art
Twisted [R] Jessica (Ashley Judd) portrays a police detective who finds
herself at the center of an investigation after all her past lovers start dying
off. To add to the drama, Jessica’s dad was a serial killer. “Characters
get distorted and motivations warped in this police thriller in order to keep
bodies piling up and clues pointing in all directions.” (Kirk Honeycutt,
Hollywood Reporter) ShowPlace West
This article appears in Mar 18-24, 2004.
