If you want to make a movie like SEVEN, you either have to go all the way or not bother trying. I realize it's not fair to compare other thrillers to what is easily the greatest detective/serial-killer movie of all time, but the opening credits of D.J. Caruso's TAKING LIVES are just begging for comparison. Unfortunately, aside from a few surprises that aren't nearly as shocking, the introduction documenting the killer is as close to SEVEN as this film ever gets.


This isn't to say TAKING LIVES is necessarily bad; it's merely not as good as it could have been, with a screenplay that certainly had a lot going for it and in the right hands probably could've been transformed into something more memorable. There's a big twist (because every movie these days simply must offer a big twist) that turns out to be rather predictable, but the story makes for a fun ride along the way.

What bothered me were several bizarre shifts in tone, from the acting to the cinematography. I don't know what Caruso was aiming for, but the film goes from being hardcore and gruesome to slightly self-aware and over-the-top at times. We even see Angelina Jolie's breasts during a sex scene, beautifully lit in all their glory, which I thought was more than a little bizarre for the lead detective in a serial killer movie.

To its credit, TAKING LIVES features one of the best jump-in-your-seat moments I've ever seen (hands down), as well as a lot of other good moments that help to make up for the inconsistency. On top of that, there's a sequence near the end that at first appears to be totally out of line with the rest of the movie (which I was accustomed to at this point), but by its end makes perfect sense and was clever enough to leave me with a grin on my face.

Posted March 24, 2004 | link