Taglines: Serial killer vs. forensic genius.
The Bone Collector movie storyline. Filmed on location in Montreal and New York, The Bone Collector is a suspense thriller that combines Rear Window and Seven. Two cops on the trail of a brutal serial killer must see as one, act as one, and think as one before the next victim falls. Lincoln Rhyme (Denzel Washington) is an intelligent forensics detective who was paralyzed in the line of duty.
The author of several books, he has a keen eye for detail and nose for clues that have made him a legend in the law enforcement community. Amelia Donaghy (Angelina Jolie) is a street-smart policewoman in her twenties. On her last day as a street cop, before being transferred to a desk job, Amelia discovers a badly mutilated corpse. Rhyme is asked to investigate the case, but he declines. To him, it is an open-and-shut case not worth his time. But when he takes a close look at the evidence, he is intrigued, as the photos reveal complex messages in their details.
The lunatic, who might be a taxi driver (a Scorsese allusion), amuses himself by paying homage to legendary murders in his own gruesome acts. Amelia is assigned to assist Rhyme, and she must be the eyes and ears of the quadriplegic detective. And they must capture the killer before he strikes again. Written by Jeremy Iacone and based on a book of the same title by Jeffrey Deaver, The Bone Collector was directed by the Australian thriller specialist Phillip Noyce, who directed such films as Clear and Present Danger and Dead Calm.
The Bone Collector is a 1999 psychological thriller film starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie, directed by Phillip Noyce and produced by Martin Bregman. The movie was based on the crime novel of the same name written by Jeffery Deaver, concerning the quadriplegic detective Lincoln Rhyme. It was the first book of the Lincoln Rhyme series.
Film Review for The Bone Collector
The Bone Collector starts off strong, with a healthy mix of suspense, humour, gore, and violence, but falters towards the end as it becomes too contrived (which does result in a lot of (unintentional) humour but doesn’t serve well as an intense action flick).
Lincoln Rhyme (Denzel Washington) is a forensics officer who was paralysed from the neck down during a rescue operation, except for his ability to move one finger. He is still in active duty, and his medical care is paid for by his insurance company (part of which includes an elaborate computer setup to counteract his inability to move). He is consulted on a case where a serial killer in New York City is mutilating his victims in grotesque manner and leaving behind clues as to the location of his next kill.
Rhyme manages to piece the clues together along with the help of Amelia Donahgy (Angelina Jolie), who reluctantly becomes Rhyme’s eyes and ears at the crime scene. But they are always one step behind and are too late to save victims from boiled alive by steam or eaten alive by rats. All this leads to a decent build up of suspense as the true identity, and the motives, of the killer are slowly revealed to us.
Within that basic story outline, there is a lot of complexity. The relationship between Rhyme and Donahgy is complicated, not just because the latter is reluctant to be a forensics officer but also because of their pasts (which says a lot about the character development in this film): Rhyme has led a solitary life obsessed about his work, and, after his accident, he becomes primarily interested in self-terminating.
Donahgy is scared of repeating her father’s suicide and therefore avoids any semblance of “real” police work. However, at times, the complexity in their relationship sinks to base depths (such as the time Donahgy feels Rhyme’s finger after he has a seizure).
Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie give fine performances and the chemistry between them is good, though too syrupy at times. Jolie’s performance as Rhyme’s “puppet” is excellent, with the right amount of indignation and passivity at her treatment. The cinematography is bleak, much like the setting in Seven. The killings are performed in a novel and hideous manner and the scenes can be disturbing at times.
The ending is where The Bone Collector fails the most: Rhyme is paralysed from the neck down, but yet he is almost able to hold his own against a vicious killer. Also, the more intense confrontational scenes are way over-the-top and degenerate into humourous ones. The Bone Collector is a good time-killer that’s worth the matinee fare if you get a chance (or if you have a crush on Angelina Jolie). Otherwise, I’d recommend skipping it.
The Bone Collector (1999)
Directed by: Phillip Noyce
Starring: Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie, Queen Latifah, Michael Rooker, Mike McGlone, Luis Guzman, Leland Orser, Ed O’Neill, Olivia Birkelund, Gary Swanson
Screenplay by: Jeremy Iacone
Production Design by: Nigel Phelps
Cinematography by: Dean Semler
Film Editing by: William Hoy
Costume Design by: Odette Gadoury
Set Decoration by: Marie-Claude Gosselin, Susan C. MacQuarrie, Harriet Zucker
Art Direction by: Claude Paré, Jefferson Sage
Music by: Craig Armstrong
MPAA Rating: R for strong violent content including grisly images, and for language.
Distributed by: Universal Pictures (USA & Canada), Columbia Pictures (International)
Release Date: November 5, 1999
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