A Killer Within

I usually do not sit down and watch thrillers because I can figure out the who done it of the whodunit. I did lean toward a certain suspect and turned out I was right, but the ride to see if I was correct was rather enjoyable. There was a good plot with a lot of good twists and turns which would leave a person guessing right up to the end. Best roller coaster ride I have had in, well, forever. It was very intelligently done. Kudos to the writers.

The cast was put together well and seemed to work together well. I admittedly am a fan of Ben Browder and have to say he did not disappoint in this movie. I hope to see this group work together again in the future. It seemed as though they really enjoyed what they were doing and to me that makes a difference in watching average and watching above average.

I have to say I enjoyed this little independent movie more than most big box office hits and top TV shows I have seen.

Thanks guys for the good ride.

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.

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

I was looking forward to an above average film when I sat down to watch this. Sean Young and perhaps C. Thomas Howell was to assure that. So I'm writing this to warn off anyone which will think the same as me - thinking this is worthwhile to watch.

But I could immediately see that the good idea in this film, and what could have been a good plot, was ruined by bad directing and bad acting.

This could have made an interesting film in the hands of a better director. The script is far from flawless, but still I think it could have been saved. But all the actors show that they don't believe in the project. Even the little kid is really bad. There's not a single actor acting worth watching here. Sean Young is theatrical, C. Thomas Howell is stoic, and the police looks like they have been taken in from the streets. Unbelievably enough, even the extras here are bad. Like the woman in the neighboring table at the restaurant! I haven't seen anything like it!

It's a shame money has been spent on this, but I give it a 2 out of 10 for the idea. Such a pity good ideas can be spent this way!

If this is American independent film-making, let me see any film any day before this!

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.