Taking Lives (2004)

An FBI profiler 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

Writers:

Michael Pye (novel), Jon Bokenkamp (screen story),

Stars:

Angelina Jolie, Ethan Hawke, Kiefer Sutherland

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Angelina Jolie	...	Illeana
Ethan Hawke	...	Costa
Kiefer Sutherland	...	Hart
Gena Rowlands	...	Mrs. Asher
Olivier Martinez	...	Paquette
Tchéky Karyo	...	Leclair
Jean-Hugues Anglade	...	Duval
Paul Dano	...	Young Asher
Justin Chatwin	...	Matt Soulsby
André Lacoste	...	Cashier
Billy Two Rivers	...	Car Salesman
Richard Lemire	...	Québec City Cop
Julien Poulin	...	Québec City Inspector
Marie-Josée Croze	...	Medical Examiner
Christian Tessier	...	Interrogation Officer

Storyline

The film starts in the early 1980s. Young Martin Asher took a bus for Canada. He meets another teen on the bus Matt Soulsby. When the bus broke they decided to rent a car and drive to Seattle. On the road the car gets a flat tire, and Matt starts changing the tire Martin comments on how he and Matt are about the same height and he quickly pushes Matt in the way of an oncoming truck causing a huge accident where Matt and the driver both die. He took Matt's guitar and left singing like Matt did. Twenty years later, an FBI profiler, Illeana Scott comes to Canada to help hunting down a serial killer Martin Asher who killed multiple men and lived by their identities. Martin's mother claims that she saw Martin in Quebec city and she tells the police that Martin is evil. The police also has an eyewitness James Costa who saw Asher kill his last victim...

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Plot Keywords:

serial killer | fbi profiler | canadian | flat tire | french | 

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Taglines:

He Would Kill To Be You.

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Genres:

Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence including disturbing images, language and some sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros [fr] Warner Bros.

Country:

USA Australia

Language:

English French

Release Date:

19 March 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Elude võtmine

Filming Locations:

Chemin du Lac, Knowlton's Landing, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$45,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$32,378 (Norway) (30 April 2004)

Gross:

$32,682,342 (USA) (28 May 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, Village Roadshow Pictures, Atmosphere Entertainment MM

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min 109 min (unrated)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Screenwriters Nicholas Kazan, Hillary Seitz and David Ayer worked on revisions for Jon Bokenkamp's script.

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Goofs

While the movie is set in Montreal, Quebec, several scenes were filmed in Quebec City some 150 miles north east from Montreal. The bridge scene and Le chateau Frontenac are in Quebec City not Montreal. A police uniform is one scene has the Quebec City insignia.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Cashier: Where are you going?

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Connections

Referenced in Le couperet (2005)

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Soundtracks

"1919 Rag"
Performed by Bay City Jazz Band
Courtesy of Delmark Records

User Reviews

Good, creepy, solid thriller

Taking Lives is the story of a serial killer who murders loners and usurps their identities for a time before moving on to the next victim. The story centers around an FBI agent (Angelina Jolie) as she tracks the killer down.

I enjoyed this movie. It has the characteristic gore required for such films, but done in a far different way and in a manner that actually contributes to the plot, not just for the sheer shock value. It has the characteristic plot turns and twists designed to keep you guessing, but for the most part they are well thought out and not just gags from over-clever writers. And it does have a rather solid ending. Too many of these "keep you guessing" thrillers disappoint you in the end, this one doesn't.

Angelina Jolie is very solid in this role, redeeming her in my eyes after her stints in the horrible Lara Croft films. The supporting cast is good as well. Ethan Hawke (who plays a man believed to be the next victim) is less believable in his own role, sometimes he plays the character so obviously exaggerated it loses it's substance. This "obviousness" keeps me from giving it a 10, I can only give it an 8.

I am glad to finally have a film actually set in Canada with Canadian characters and locales, and not simply filmed there to save money.