Rating: 
Summary: Scene of the Crime
Review: This very good film is an old style mystery thriller with a great atmosphere and some fine performances. I had read the Jeffery Deaver novel and enjoyed this tense and exiting adaption a lot. Some things are changed for the film medium, but the essential feel of Deaver's story and his characters are here. It is suspenseful and engrossing, and it begs for a sequel. Everthing else is just nit-picking. Lincoln Rhyme (Denzel Washington) is having a nightmare when this film opens. He is a cop at a crime scene, a heavy beam falling down on him, nearly cutting him in half and leaving him only the use of his shoulders and one finger. But the dream is a reality, a memory of what happened to bring this famous New York forensics expert to a point in his life when he wants to end it all. He wants to make that final transition and soar with the falcons who nest outside his high rise apatment. He fears that the next siezure will leave him a vegetable, something he can't begin to put his mind around. When old pal Detective Paulie Sellitto (Ed O'Neill) asks for his help with a murder and kidnapping he begins to use his mind as he once did, thanks to the crime scene evidence procured by young police officer Amelia Donaghy (Angelina Jolie), who had read his book, "Scene of the Crime", and preserved the evidence. The down side is the evidence itself, which tells Lincoln the time and place of the next victim's death, if there is time left to prevent it. Rhyme is still on the New York Police Department payroll and a whole unit is set up in his place to figure out the puzzle. Rhyme requests the help of the reluctant Officer Donaghy and slowly, as he teaches her by headset how to walk the crime scene grid and find the evidence, a relationship begins to form. It has some stumbling blocks. A request to cut off a victim's hands so they can examine her shackles and the suicide of Donaghy's on the job father all help to form a complex working relationship between the two that by the end of the film may be more. Add to this a killer who likes the history of Old New York and is leaving them forensic clues to each crime, in essence saying 'save them if you can', and you have a teriffic movie. There is fine support from Queen Latifaih as Rhyme's nurse Thelma and a very funny turn by Luis Guzman as colorful science expert Eddie Ortiz. Michael Rooker nicely portrays a pompous Captain Cheney, who resents the respect the C-4 Quad Rhyme gets from his fellow officers and his use of an inexperienced Donaghy to collect the evidence. This is an exciting film about the pursuit of a killer by putting pieces of the puzzle together until they fit. He picks up his victims in a taxi and likes things that are old; guns, shackles, newspapers, buildings, etc. But the secret to his crimes may be found in the public library, in an old book about crimes in turn of the century New York. The title of the book, of course, is "The Bone Collector". But it won't prepare anyone for the real motive for the killings or his next intended victim. This is one for a big bowl of popcorn watched with the lights off. Denzel gives a wonderful performance with his face and his eyes alone. Angelina Jolie does a fine job also, her obvious discomfort at the first crime scene evolving into confidence under Rhyme's intelligent tutelage. The resolution to the crimes is tense and exciting and Rhyme is faced with a personal decision of life or death. Director Phillip Noyce has crafted a very old-fashioned mystery thriller and the score by Craig Armstrong creates a very suspenseful and at times sad atmosphere not to be forgotten. You'll like this movie a lot. It is definitely one you have to own.....
Rating: 
Summary: Worth watching if you haven't read the Deaver novel of the
Review: same name. If you have, do not, I repeat, do not plan to enjoy the movie. I've no problem with the scripting changes necessitated when films are made from great books (although they usually don't work!)....but in this case, a truly unique first appearance of Lincoln Rhyme, a quadriplegic forensic specialist, is spoiled by some deliberate and wasted alterations of the characters and the plot. The changes? Rhyme's nurse in the novel was a cynic, gay harpy...the perfect person to try to control Rhyme. In the movie, a big-hearted, dedicated career nurse is played by Queen Latifah. Why? The ending of the film was completely changed by the scriptwriters, and I urge you to read the novel to see the shocking conclusion that played so much better than the film ended. I blame Noyce, the director, for the script annihilation, the "too dark" filming sequences outside of Rhyme's apartment, and the waste of a pretty cohesive cast. I'm giving 3 stars instead of less because the cast does a fine job, and the sets are outstanding. Angelina Jolie may not have been excellent here, in Amelia's first appearance, but you can believe that she would be perfect for the part if filmakers chose to continue the Rhyme theme and film some of the later, greater novels. Supporting players are all strong, and Denzel is outstanding as Lincoln Rhyme, with his electronic life-giving toys, his attitude, and his willingness to give up life as every seizure (well played!) rocks his world. The chemistry between Jolie & Washington is strong and well-played, and, had the film been shot a little differently and been more of a success, Washington might have had the continuous role as Rhyme that Harrison Ford keeps winning in films...oh, well. Read the novel, but then don't watch the DVD!!!!
Rating:
Summary: The Bone Collector
Review: I thought it was an interesting approach to a thriller. Denzel Washington portrays a paralyzed ex-cop who helps catch a serial killer from his bed. Angelina Jolie plays a rookie cop who follows his directions to find clues to the killer's identity. There was really nothing unexpected in this film but it's a decent thriller.
Rating:
Summary: Phillip Noyce's The Bone Collector
Review: Oscar winners Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie get caught up in a thriller more complicated than "Seven," and not as good. Washington is a paralyzed former New York CIty detective who can only move his head and one index finger. He is confined to a bed after an on the job accident and is cared for by nurse Queen Latifah. Angelina Jolie is a young cop trying to make it in the youth services division in the NYPD. She is running from personal demons of her own, including the suicide of her cop father. By chance, Jolie is the first on the scene of a gruesome discovery. As we have seen earlier, a wealthy couple is kidnapped by a rogue cabbie. The man's remains are found, and the killer leaves clues to where the woman is. Washington runs a miniature precinct out of his apartment, using his limited physical attributes to investigate and using Jolie to see what he would normally see. The team begins trailing the killer, trying to piece together the clues left at the crime scene. They are stopped at every turn by clicheed angry detective Michael Rooker, who keeps reminding everyone Washington is no longer a cop. After more bodies turn up, the climax involves the deaths of many characters, as the killer takes a roundabout way of trying to off the helpless Washington. The other murders in here are almost unnecessary since the original intent of the story is to put Washington in danger to begin with. The killer is not easily guessed because the film makers throw in all sorts of red herring suspects, but by the end you probably will not care all that much. Washington and Jolie are very good here. Jolie gets some background characterization, which helps explain her bitterness, and it takes her a while to warm up to Washington. Washington is also good in a physically limited role, using his facial expressions to relate to the audience. His frequent seizures are convincing. The rest of the cast mostly runs around with their guns drawn, quipping with Washington on down time. A special mention should go to Queen Latifah. I am not her biggest fan, but she won me over as the tough nurse whose primary responsibility is to her patient. This may be her best work yet. The killings are based on old New York City history, and some of that is interesting. With this serial killer genre of film, the film makers do take logical leaps in trying to solve the crimes that most crime audiences may have a problem swallowing. The crimes are so overcomplicated and really do not make much sense, considering the killer's final motive. Of course, the killer confesses everything in the climax, including why, and I thought this whole sequence was very weak. Director Noyce does a standard job with his camera, although I liked a lot of the shots of NYC we do not normally see, including the World Trade Center. The music is appropriately suspenseful, as is the cinematography. In the end, "The Bone Collector" is strictly suspense by committee. The great actors they enlisted almost make up for the shoddy story and "seen it before" feel that you are left with. If anyone else had been cast in this, it would have been a serious flop. As it is, this is a B movie serial killer flick dressed up with onscreen talent. The film makers failed to back the cast up with something the audience could jump at. I slightly do not recommend this. This is (R) for physical violence, gun violence, gore, and profanity.
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing but dry bones
Review: The Bone Collector is a worthy, if not always successful thriller in the vein of films such as Silence of the Lambs and Seven. However this entry into the well-worn genre is far-less exciting or even interesting than other superior predecessors. Directed by Philip Noyce, who gave us the excellent Dead Calm (1989), here seems to have forgotten how to create suspenseful action or anything resembling a proper structural build-up.
The film's slender running time creates an anti-climax, giving the feeling that an over-enthusiastic editor has chopped out the best bits of the action. There are good points; Denzel Washington is great as the paraplegic who, with the help of Angelina Jolie's character, starts to track down a seriously demented serial killer. And there are some effectively creepy moments and the dark music adds to the film's suspense. But Angelina Jolie is wasted in this, and the aforementioned bog standard ending is a real letdown. A mediocre effort from a director who can do much better. The DVD extras are good though, with a 'making of' doco, a director's commentary and trailers. Still, sold extras can't hide the film's problems.
Rating: 
Summary: Revenge........
Review: This is a story of revenge. Of course, you don't find that out until the end. Washington is a forensic detective that is permanently disabled. Jolie is a junior officer that accidentally gets the opportunity to work with the one time expert. She becomes Washington's eyes and ears (and hands) at the crime scenes. All the scenes appear to be set up so that only the best of the best forensic experts can possibly decipher what is going on. Enough of that.... The acting is well done. Both Washington and Jolie do their parts well. The film is entertaining. Not quite edge of your seat, but worth watching.
Rating:
Summary: Uninvolving film from great mystery novel
Review: It is rare that my reading habits coincide with what I see at the movies. I just happened to read Jeffrey Deaver's novel, The Bone Collector, just a few weeks before the film adaptation opened. I found Mr. Deaver's book to be scary, original and well researched. It is a page turner, and I highly recommend it to mystery fans. And the movie? Read on! I am fairly well educated on the subject of transferring books into films. I don't want to get too deep, but what we have to deal with is too different mediums. Writing is a linear art. Movies are a visual art. Simply put, it is not possible to precisely translate a book into a film. When people read, each person visualizes the text differently. A film is a singular vision. Assuming work of fiction is reasonably well written, only the plot and some descriptions will come out approximately the same to all readers. For movie purposes, plots often must be altered. There are two main reasons. One is time constraints. You may not care how long it takes you to read a good book, but would you sit through a faithful movie version if it ran six hours? The other is the idea that what engrosses people in a book is often different from what intrigues them in a movie. I prefaced my review of The Bone Collector with these remarks because there is something screen writers often do that both irritates and confuses me. It is easy to see why this book was bought for the screen. The story is highly cinematic, the kind that movie executives fight over the rights to produce. So what was the screenwriter thinking when deciding to rewrite key elements of the plot in order to create a weaker movie? I'll never know, but that's what seems to have occurred in this case. I'll get back to this in a minute. The movie stars two of this year's Oscar nominees, Denzel Washington and Angeline Jolie. It was directed by Phillip Noyce, a competent fellow who has directed such action hits as Clear and Present Danger and Patriot Games. Washington plays Lincoln Rhyme, a top notch forensic detective who has been paralyzed from the neck down for three years. Despondent over the tedium of his life, he has consulted with a doctor about ending his life. When some of New York's finest come to his apartment to ask for his help in solving a particularly gruesome and clever murder, he is reluctant. As the case proceeds and becomes increasingly complex, he is given, at least temporarily, a reason to live. Jolie is Amelia Donaghy, a bright young cop who is the first at the scene of the killing. Impressed by her professional handling of the crime scene, he enlists her to be his eyes in the world beyond his apartment and his computers. Amelia also wants nothing to do with the manhunt at first, but as she becomes familiar with forensic science, she finds that she is a natural detective. What follows is a harrowing cat and mouse game between Lincoln, Amelia and the diabolical killer, who leaves bizarre clues at each crime scene. This planted evidence can tell a clever detective when and where the next crime will occur. Splendid story possibilities, right? Sounds like a great movie. Well, it's not, and this is due to that scriptwriter. I suppose it's okay to change Lincoln's nurse from a hip and funny [but no nonsense] gay guy to a warm and compassionate [but bland] woman named Thelma, a part wasted on the vibrant Queen Latifah. In the book, the nurse was an integral part of the story. Thelma mostly wanders around trying to help. Maybe it's also okay to change the nurse's ultimate fate. As in the book, the movie's villain is obsessed with old New York, particularly locales dating to around 1890. The movie, however, fails to capitalize on these visual treats, even though New York is still filled with such places. It is in the identity of the killer and in the reason why the killer is doing his deeds that the movie goes totally off the track. The book's ending could have made one of the most surprising and shocking film finales in years. It all made sense and had a great twist. The movie changes all this. As a result, the ending is warmed over Hollywood nonsense. I think I will write a book in which a screenwriter is done in for sabotaging a great novel.
Rating: 
Summary: This movie collected disbelief for me
Review: I couldn't believe how awful this movie was. The contrivances and machinations were just too much to bear. The way this movie was set up was absolutely impossible. It had all the standard cliches (a "surprise" ending with the "least likely" character, an obligatory police chief who bungles the case, no matter how it may be progressing, Eetc.) and when I did find out who the killer was, I didn't care and it had no pertinance to the rest of the film. There is no way anyone could have put this puzzle together and no way in Hell any serial killer would either expect anyone to or relate it to this string of events. There are gaping plot holes and incredible coincidences. This movie had me dropping my jaw in shock over how the talented cast was wasted and the preposterous setup. There are too many things for me to list on what was wrong with this execrable piece of garbage.
Rating:
Summary: WELL WORHT SEEING AND ENJOYING!
Review: This is a great movie for those of us who don't like the horry - gorry! And don't need to disect a film to enjoy.
Denzel Washington gave a great performance [like to see the critics give as credible a job.]
Had enought tension and twists to keep you guessing and hate to admit it but loved the take down.
It keeps one interested enough to want to follow the steps even after 3 viewings -- not enough good solid movies out there that don't get interupted by some unsavory nude scene to spoil the whole attitude of the movie.
Thanks for a really good movie -- it is Highly Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: very good movie
Review: a very good moving movie with a great actor Denzel Washington
| 
