He would kill to be you.

The movie under the knife, so to speak, is director D.J. Caruso's Taking Lives. Angelina Jolie (Tomb Raider) plays Illeana Scott, an FBI profiler, who is called to Montreal to assist in the solving a series of murders. As the case progresses, they come across a witness (Ethan Hawke-Training Day) and with his help, Scott discovers that their murderer isn't just killing, he's taking over the lives of his victims. Also starring Kiefer Sutherland (24), Gena Rowlands (Playing By Heart), Olivier Martinez (S.W.A.T.), Tchéky Karyo (The Core), and Jean-Hugues Anglade (Il est plus facile pour un chameau...).

Right off the bat, Taking Lives reminded me of the television series Profiler, and I'm sure that the recent release of the first two seasons of this series is not a coincidence. This film starts out good and the suspense is quickly introduced and built upon. However, I was disappointed when the movie trod into familiar territory two thirds of the way into the story, become clichéd and predictable. There is a valid attempt to save the film at the very end, something unexpected with partially satisfied me. Jolie is surprisingly believable, and does an excellent job with the role. However, she is outshone by Hawke for most of the movie. Karyo is always enjoyable, while Sutherland was under utilized. In all, the movie didn't wow me. It degenerated into hundreds of movies before it and I left the theatre feeling a little disappointed. Definately a rental.

Rating: 2 (out of 5)

Labels: Drama, Thriller

posted by Lisa at 7:35 p.m. |

 
And The Winner Is...

Best Picture: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."

Actor: Sean Penn, "Mystic River."

Actress: Charlize Theron, "Monster."

Supporting Actor: Tim Robbins, "Mystic River."

Supporting Actress: Renee Zellweger, "Cold Mountain."

Director: Peter Jackson, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."

Foreign Film: "The Barbarian Invasions," Canada.

Adapted Screenplay: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."

Original Screenplay: Sofia Coppola, "Lost in Translation."

Animated Feature: "Finding Nemo."

Art Direction: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."

Cinematography: "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World."

Sound Mixing: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."

Sound Editing: "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World."

Original Score: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," Howard Shore.

Original Song: "Into the West" from "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," Fran Walsh, Howard Shore and Annie Lennox.

Costume: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."

Documentary Feature: "The Fog of War."

Documentary (short subject): "Chernobyl Heart."

Film Editing: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of The King."

Makeup: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."

Animated Short Film: "Harvie Krumpet."

Live Action Short Film: "Two Soldiers."

Visual Effects: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."


Oscar winners previously announced this year:

Honorary Academy Award: Blake Edwards.

Gordon E. Sawyer Award (technical achievement): Peter D. Parks.

Academy Award of Merit (technical achievement): Digidesign.

Academy Award of Merit (technical achievement): Bill Tondreau

Opinions:
While I still can't believe that "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" took in a record-tying 11 Oscars, I'm not really surprised. I firmly believe that "Lord of the Rings" was judged as a whole, and not as three separate films. In my opinion, The Two Towers was the best of the trilogy, but when these three films are judges as one continuing story, it can't be beat. I think that the Academy was recognizing it for what it represents as a whole, not for "Return of the King" on its own.

"Lost in Translation" was a favorite this year, but I think that the Academy probably had the same response as the general public: Not everybody got it! While the intelligent audience found it brillant in its quiet reality, the rest of the world found it boring. I also found it surprising that Mystic River was not chosen considering Eastwood's Academy darling status. The other two films, in my opinion, just didn't measure up to these three.

No suprises with the acting awards, Theron, Robbins and Zellweger having been favorites. I was rooting for Murray, as this may be his last gasp, but Penn is much deserving of this long awaited honor. I was honestly surprised that Depp was nominated, much as I was when Zelleweger got a nod for "Bridget Jones's Diary". A comedic role vs. a dramatic one will never come out on top.

I bet New Line is thrilled that it took the chance of Peter Jackson, especially given his previous resume with films like "Dead Alive" and "Bad Taste".

Labels: Awards

posted by Lisa at 7:52 a.m. |