A Killer Within

A tight plot and solid performances set this film above the standard fare. As a lover of mystery I've become extremely adept at finding the killer quickly. Well not the case here. I was guessing right up until the end. Enough red herrings to stock a fish market, and I loved every minute of it. Taking Lives tries to bring the mystery that A Killer Within delivers. So if you want a good mystery check it out.

Very predictable with not much of a trick at the end. The beginning was very clumsy, even embarrassing, direction and not being able to grasp a good performance out of any of his actors, even the much under-rated Sean Young. Mr. Esposito later saved any interest in the movie. Cable then the video store is where this belongs, the director should watch Chinatown. Dallas offers much for a real noir, but this is not it. It is hard for a new director to engage this kind of film with any originality. The genre has been repeated many times , yet it is still valid. Walter Mosely can do it by writing. Donald Goines did it. Polanski did it. The Usual Suspects did it. Time is one thing, but realizing place, a real understanding of local, is another.

I wouldn't call this the next great mystery thriller, nor would I call it total garbage. It falls somewhere in between, but at the lower end of the 10-star system. It had its moments, and, yes, Sean Young is still hot! (And an under-rated actress), but the plot and its "multiple endings" were not the best. A better script might have helped. I'm not going to diss folks who tried to make an independent film outside of Hollywood. At least they didn't do a remake of the Beverly Hillbillies, Welcome Back Kotter, or Bewitched. They tried to be original. (Note to self: Original does not always translate to good.) Give the film a chance and watch it for yourself.

I rented this movie not knowing what to expect. I'm a fan of Ben's from Farscape, so I was intrigued to see him in something else. As I expected, Ben did not disappoint. He brought some actual three dimensional life into a collection of banal characters.

The plot is nothing unusual, the type of film I'd expect to see in a movie-of-the-week format. There are intriguing elements, especially toward the end as the killer of the title comes closer to being exposed. I wasn't surprised by anything, but I liked Sam and Sara, so I was interested in the character development.

C. Thomas Howell was unimpressive and I'd much rather have had someone more dynamic in the lead role. I'd say Ben, but my bias would show a little too much there. Sean Young-while she drives me nuts-was perfectly cast. I'm not sure I've ever seen Giancarlo Esposito in anything, but I really liked him in this film.

This was independently produced and while there are things about it I wasn't impressed with, all things considered it was a very polished film.

Addison (C. Thomas Howell, whom if he's one of the main stars in ANY post 1986 movie is going to suck) who after finding out that his wife has been murdered and being the prime suspect, attempts to catch the real killer. Vargas (Giancarlo Esposito) is an ex-cop who was disgraced by Addison, who comes along to help him reluctantly. This is a typical run of the miller thriller, no more, no less. The ending is a silly. The acting is pretty bad by Howell and even more so from a wasted Ben "Farscape" Browder.All in all, very VERY forgettable. Or maybe that's just me being hopeful again.

My Grade: D+

Eye Candy: Sean young gives a quick full frontal