Release Date: March 19, 2004
MPAA Rating:Rated R for strong violence including disturbing images, language and some sexuality
Directed by: D.J. Caruso
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Ethan Hawke, Kiefer Sutherland, Olivier Martinez, Tcheky Karyo, Jean Hugues Anglade, Gena Rowlands

Plot:
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, top FBI profiler Illeana Scott (Angelina Jolie) joins the case. With meticulous insight, she theorizes that the chameleon-like killer is "life-jacking" – assuming the lives and identities of his victims. Her seemingly cold demeanor alienates her from the territorial local police force - 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.

Review:
Just last year Angelina Jolie starred in the very underrated Beyond Borders with Clive Owen. The film combined a tragic story on the poor and the hungry and a romantic passion for love between the two of them. The following year, 2004, Jolie returns to the big screen and stars in a very fast paced thriller. That of course is the film Taking Lives and it deals with a serial killer that has been hard to track down ever since he was a teenager, so then the search begins.

Its not an easy assignment to make a film involving serial killers, not at all. It has to play out as an interesting story packed with tense scenes and a few scares for that matter. Taking Lives actually has a few of those, no where near a handful, but some are unforgettable and for the moment were very good.

Angelina Jolie plays an FBI Agent named Illeana and is alongside Olivier Martinez who plays Paquette. Together they plan strategies and try to gather different types of evidence to track down the killer. I must say that as revealed during the film the way this serial killer works is truly ingenious. The killer knows what they are doing and by the way, they are hiding themselves so well that it is hard to figure out who it is.

I must inform that Director D.J. Caruso is a good Director. In fact, he directed The Salton Sea which featured Val Kilmer in a great performance. He continued to show that he is indeed a good filmmaker and for thrillers he has a sense of style. While he still has places to improve as a filmmaker there is plenty to enjoy from his vision. The Direction in Taking Lives is something to not be disappointed about.

I'll also be bound to say that the screenplay for Taking Lives has its share of cleverness. Its not completely solid whatsoever, but has its share of different ideas and some that work. However, there were some things in this thriller that didn't work all that well. That's where the flaws of Taking Lives come in, but its not major flaws and it still held its place as an enjoyable thriller.

The flaws are completely visible. I won't mention them straight out because it can involve spoiling the film, so I will hold back from that. There is plenty to like in Taking Lives and it overshadows the flaws. Also, Jolie's character and the other characters in this film are liked a lot and you get involved in their mystery. Call me insane, but the film interests enough that it wants you to follow their path in figuring it out yourself. No that's not insane.

The film also attempts to get the audience thinking that the serial killer is a number of people. It shows certain situations and talents that the killer has and makes a number of people play it out to get the audience thinking its them. So basically, it has the audience thinking they know who it is, but then it switches and makes you believe its someone else after a matter of minutes.

The ending came as a shocker to me, not necessarily who the killer was, but instead a little twist that was placed at the last minute. It surprised me and will surprise many of the people that witness this film as well. This film is not but a fun thriller with a couple of negativity in it. It still manages to fulfill entertainment and it keeps you interested for its entire running time.

Taking Lives survives for the most part in delivering a somewhat entertaining and interesting thriller. The film had enough intelligence and the characters were good enough to keep this film from failing. It took a simple idea and kept the audience wanting more and wanting for it to continue its massacre. While Taking Lives had its share of flaws, it had enough steam to call it an above average thriller and therefore getting the nod.