Rating: 
Summary: Gruesome Ghoul Grips Gotham!
Review: Uh-oh, there's another serial-killing nutjob on the loose in NYC! This one's a real stickler for detail too, leaving cryptic clues behind for future examination. Homicide investigator Lincoln Rhyme (Denzel Washington) is a brilliant and famous forensic writer, now quadriplegic, who must try to unravel the mystery from his in-home hospital bed. With the help of gifted / insubordinate beatcop Amelia Donaghy (Angelina Jolie), Rhyme races against the lunatic's timetable in order to prevent further murders. The killings are gruesome, but most of the gory details are left to be conjured up by our own minds. I enjoyed this one, especially the rising, very subtle chemistry between Washington and Jolie (It was surprising and refreshing to see mutual respect between two characters slowly develop into something deeper in a hollywood movie without turning into syrup). The rest of the cast is good as well. Ed O'Neil is a believable cop. Luis Guzman is also quite good. Queen Latifa sinks her teeth into her small role, making it memorable. TBC is a pretty cool killer-chiller. Worth owning...
Rating:
Summary: A Chilling, Above Average Suspense Thriller
Review: "The Bone Collector," based on Jeffrey Deaver's best-selling novel, is a gothic suspense thriller that takes the viewer below the streets of New York City, to places dark and chilling, where an evil serial killer does his dirty deeds. Creepy!!Police detective Lincoln Rhyme, (Denzel Washington is wonderful in this role - but isn't he always?), is considered to be THE genius of forensic science. His books on the subject are mandatory study at the Police Academy. During an investigation, four years before, Rhyme was involved in a terrible on-the-job accident which left him a quadriplegic and bedridden. Attached to life sustaining machines, he is only able to move one finger and his head and neck. He is subject to seizures that threaten to leave him a vegetable. A very angry man, he is bored and, at times, suicidal. Still an official member of the force, his former colleagues visit him constantly and involve him in difficult cases. A new, troubling case forces them to seek his help, yet again. Rookie cop, Amelia Donaghy (Angelina Jolie), works with the city's troubled youth. By chance she discovers the half-buried body of a powerful New York City businessman, near a railroad track. She, almost intuitively, knows what to do to protect the forensic evidence. Sending a witness off to buy a disposable camera, she takes photos of the crime scene before a rainstorm can wash away the evidence. She then, single-handedly, stops a train to preserve valuable clues. Rhyme decides she has natural forensic talent and demands she be placed on the case. So she reluctantly joins his team. Donaghy does the leg work, connected by a headset to Rhyme, while he instructs her. The two puzzle over clues and work the case from his bedside. And the leg work is brutally grim. This killer, intelligent and demented, thinks up some awful ways to commit murder. The crime scenes are elaborately set-up and clues are purposefully left that would stump the most avid puzzle addict. The gruesome crimes remind me of those in the movie "Seven." The mystery is intriguing and the forensic work absolutely fascinates. The chemistry between Rhyme and Donaghy is palpable. This is more than a student-mentor bond, although it takes them a while to get the relationship off the ground. He is cranky and imperious - she is just plain ornery. Amelia brings him to life again and he stops contemplating euthanasia. In turn, he brings new energy to Amelia's life and forces her to open up. Queen Latifa (as Rhyme's nurse) and Luis Guzman (as a fellow cop ands friend) are show stealers. This is no "Silence of the Lambs," but it is good entertainment. The camera gives the ambiance a dark and brooding look and provides some interesting angles. Often predictable, there are still surprises and the growing closeness between the detective and the cop is very well done and subtle. Although "The Bone Collector" is not a "must see," it is certainly an exciting way to spend a rainy night.
| 
