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Taking Lives (2004)
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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.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for strong violence including disturbing images, language and some sexuality
Runtime: 1 hr 46 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Mar 19, 2004 Wide
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.
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Reviews for Taking Lives
Elegant, good-looking and well-performed, D.J. Caruso's psycho-thriller is an enthralling and engaging drama that works well thanks mostly to its sexy cast.
A better-than-average crime thriller with one of the most suspenseful capture sequences I've seen in years.
The best Ashley Judd movie Judd has never made... a labyrinthine serial killer thriller that won’t win admirers for its intellect, but does have sustenance of mood in spades.
Looks great, holds our attention and – despite numerous stumbles – never completely falls on its face.
Caruso succeeds in giving Taking Lives the necessary dark feel and just enough of a drawn out character development needed for a thinking man's thriller.
Jolie and Hawke have a real chemistry between each other and this tends to make one forget some of those enormous plot holes.
Taking Lives is an engrossing thriller about a woman warrior who finds herself lost in the darkness during her obsessive pursuit of a serial killer.
While it's not in a league with The Silence of the Lambs, it works in a similarly efficient way.
Taking Lives is a good, near-great film that might seem a lot better if it hadn't been preceded by all of those Judd vehicles -- or if Jodie Foster's Clarice Starling never existed.
A serial killer yarn whose taste and story structure appeals more to mental fascination than to a dependence on baser attractions.
A production which would rather scare its audience with gore than reel it in via a gripping whodunit.
A straighforward 'fun' thriller with a climax as jaw-droppingly incredible as it is actually surprising.
Caruso succeeds in giving Taking Lives the sordid, dark feel of Seven without making his flick repugnant and he provides an ending that delivers all the thrills and shocks a serial killer whodunit needs.
While not breaking any new ground, director D.J. Caruso's movie also doesn't disappoint.
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...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 90% 90% | District 9 |
| 86% 86% | 500 Days of Summer |
| 63% 63% | Extract |
| 06% 06% | All About Steve |
| 78% 78% | It Might Get Loud |
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