A serial killer is on the loose and it's up to an unorthodox FBI agent to catch him. If you recognize this as the plot of every other police thriller released in the last 20 years, starting with Manhunter, then you're likely going to be disappointed with Taking Lives.
Set in an underutilized Montreal, Angelina Jolie is the fed utterly devoted to her job, calmly having breakfast while poring over photos of mutilated bodies. Brilliant French actor Tchéky Karyo is the befuddled police captain who invites the American to take over the Canadian investigation, and Ethan Hawke is the Canuck witness with an accent that's more Ivy League than Winnipeg.
Any resemblance to Michael Pye's novel, inspiration for the film, is almost coincidental, and under D.J. Caruso's (The Salton Sea) guidance, the plot has nearly as many holes as the killer leaves in his victims. The largest of these is the ease with which Hawke's character acquires a gun in a country with more firearm regulations than the NRA has members. You're likely not to notice the vast number of mistakes until afterward, though, because you'll be too busy trying to follow a story that meanders from here to Moncton, clumsily manipulated to its final, nonsensical climax.
Despite this, the cast turns in a surprisingly strong performance. The stunning Jolie, no surprise here, is totally believeable as Agent Illeana, having a passionate romp amid scattered photos of rotting, smashed-up bodies. Both Hawke and Kiefer Sutherland shine, especially Sutherland in his too-brief scene with Hawke, another reminder of how badly he bungled a promising movie career. And Karyo brings his usual restrained class to his role.
But it's not enough to save a thriller that relies more on surprising the audience than creating any meaningful suspense. In the end, all that Taking Lives does is take up a couple of hours.