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THE BONE COLLECTOR Send This Review to a Friend
This is Denzel Washington's year. He gives a spectacular performance as Rubin "Hurricane" Carter in "The Hurricane," which was showcased at the Toronto Film Festival and blasts the injustice to Carter, who was framed on a murder charge in New Jersey and served a long prison term before he finally walked free. In "The Bone Collector" he excels in a much different role, that of a cop who is paralyzed except for being able to move one finger but is a master criminologist and, even though bedridden, gets involved in trying to track a clever serial killer. At the sleuth's disposal in his apartment is a mass of technology that he can manipulate despite his paralysis.
"The Bone Collector" is the kind of thriller capable of holding audiences despite much that is preposterous. It is not for the squeamish, as the hunted killer commits brutal crimes. His mode of operation to kidnap people in his taxicab, take them to places in the bowels of New York and kill them in grisly ways. He deliberately leaves forensic clues to toy with his pursuers.
Two performances elevate the tall tale. Washington plays Lincoln Rhyme, the cop, with low-key charm and quickly wins our sympathy. We see the in-the-line-of-duty accident that has crippled him, and then we are let in on his plan to terminate his life in fear of being left a vegetable as a result of the seizures to which he is prone. What gives him a fresh start is meeting Amelia Donaghy, a female cop who shows a sharp instinct for handling a crime scene. Angelina Jolie plays her with muted but gutsy strength, providing the character with a mystique that piques Rhyme's interest. Jolie is beautiful and both she and Washington communicate the sexual sparks and emotional bonding that blossoms. It's a strange, deepening but unspoken love affair that can't be properly consummated as a result of Rhyme's hopeless condition. But they make a most likable combo.
The rest of the film is textbook stuff, heightened by the direction of Phillip Noyce, who cut his teeth on documentaries in Australia but has since had considerable experience with thrillers. Jeremy Iacone wrote the screenplay from the book by Jeffery Deaver.
There are hair-raising jolts as a result of the disgusting murders, and the thriller builds to the obligatory final tussle at the life-or-death climax when the killer is revealed. Assorted frills include a solid supporting performance by Queen Latifah as Rhyme's spirited nurse, But what strength the film flashes is mainly derived from the impact of Washington and Jolie in their respective parts, and they are certainly worth seeing. A Universal Pictures release.
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