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If you desire an original movie experience then The Bone Collector is not a film you
should see. Conversely, if you enjoy a decent thriller with action, excitement, and
attractive stars, and are prepared to leave the analysing to the characters, then The Bone
Collector may be worth two hours of your time.
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The plot is not unfamiliar -- we are introduced to a disenchanted police officer, who has
become a shadow of his former self. He is ready to give life away, but is convinced to
work on one last case. This police officer is forensic specialist Linc Rhyme (Denzel
Washington). As a result of an on-duty accident, Rhyme is a quadraplegic. Yet he remains
on limited police duties and agrees to oversee the investigation of a series of killings from
the bed of his New York apartment. He achieves this with the encouragement of
colleagues and the aid of impressive computer technology. Meanwhile, young
policewoman Amelia Donaghy (Angelina Jolie) is first in attendance at one of the murder
scenes. Impressed with her instincts for forensics Rhyme enlists the reluctant Donaghy as
his protégé, her mobility and fresh ideas provide the complement to his years of
experience, as they attempt to track the mysterious taxi-driving killer.
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The film contains the usual suspects of good guys and potential killers. The Bone
Collector introduces a colourful crew of investigators, as well as a sexist, narrow-minded
chief cop. Also in attendance is the now standard serial killer character: a clever, well-researched
murderer whose primary motive is to taunt and confuse the detectives. As is so
often found in films of this genre, the lead characters Rhyme and Donaghy are attractive
police officers who are brilliantly perceptive and work their crimes with astounding speed.
Their emotional baggage serves as an impediment but also a motivator in the case. The
two experience conflict within their partnership, one being a veteran and one a novice,
however this conflict ultimately develops into sexual tension. Although the romance
between Rhyme and Donaghy is very much a sub-plot for most of the film, it is
nonetheless present, suggesting, as Hollywood so often does, that no film is complete
without a romantic development.
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Many aspects of the film remain unexplained or require leaps of faith on the part of the
viewer. For example there seems to be competition amongst the recent serial killer films as
to which film villain can arrange the most elaborate or most original murder scenes and
clues. The film's 'red herrings' are well intended but all rather obvious to the seasoned
viewer. Finally the killer's motive is ultimately given short shrift, and the killer when
eventually revealed is not believable as the same criminal who masterminded this complex
sequence of events.
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However, this is a Hollywood crowd pleaser, requiring the audience to suspend their need
for plausible outcomes in favour of immediate thrills. The tension builds nicely, beginning
with the very frightening taxi-ride taken by the first victims, to the ultimate climax and
confrontation. The film creates a genuinely disturbing atmosphere. On more than one
occasion Donaghy is shown entering dark confines, having to confront her worst fears
witnessing the most gruesome of murder scenes. Her anxiety, alongside Linc's physical
restrictions, his recurring seizures, and the sense that as time passes the urgency grows to
solve the crime before the killer strikes again. Each of these factors creates a very effective
claustrophobic tension. Human bones are left at the crime scenes as clues, as are the
gruesomely mutilated victims. There is one particularly unsettling moment in the final
action sequence which contains one of my absolute personal phobias, but I should have
seen it coming considering the film has the word "bone" in the title.
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In the tradition of disturbing thriller 'who dunnits' like Silence of the Lambs, Copycat
and Seven, this film very much works to a formula and thus lacks originality. However
this is clearly intentional. Considering the money that is at stake in big budget films, it
comes as no surprise when studios recycle proven formulas. As a viewer, I have decided
not to take this personally. I still find enough original or alternative films to see whenever I
am inclined to avoid the manipulations of mainstream cinema.
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The Bone Collector's significant takings at the box office suggest that this type of thriller is
very much a favourite genre of the populace. The film's action is accessible and enjoyable.
The high point of The Bone Collector is the quality performances of the two leads, Jolie
and Washington. These are two of the most attractive actors of the moment, and the use
of many lingering close-ups takes advantage of this as well as highlighting the emotional
tension. Also the chemistry between the two characters is first rate. Jolie is one of the
fastest rising talents in the industry at present and looks different in every film, yet carries
a resilient and strong female persona throughout each of her roles. The facial and bodily
expressions of both actors both actors bring more depth and believability to their
characters than the script promotes.
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Some reviewers have noticed how much this film owes to Hitchcock's "Rear Window".
Along these lines, did I imagine a Hitchcock-like cameo by director Noyce -- a shopper in
the bookstore which Donaghy visits?
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I do not feast on a steady diet of film thrillers, and this is perhaps why I enjoyed Bone
Collector. If you like the occasional spooky thrill that is not too frightening, and none too
complicated, this film is worth a look.
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Details
The Bone Collector, by Universal Pictures 1999.
Director: Philip Noyce.
Screenplay: Christopher Crowe and Jeremy Iacone, based on the book by Jeffery Deaver.
Director of Photography: Dean Semler.
Production Design: Nigel Phelps.
Editor: William Hoy.
Music: Craig Armstrong.
Costume Design: Odette Gadoury.
Cast: Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie, Michael Rooker, Queen Latifah, Luis Guzman,
Mike McGlone, Leland Orser, Ed O'Neill, John Benjamin Hickey, Bobby Cannavale.
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Citation reference for this article
MLA style:
Kate Douglas. "Collecting Thrills: 'The Bone Collector'." M/C Reviews 6 Dec. 1999.
[your date of access] <http://www.uq.edu.au/mc/reviews/screen/bone.html>.
Chicago style:
Kate Douglas, "Collecting Thrills: 'The Bone Collector'," M/C Reviews 6 Dec. 1999,
<http://www.uq.edu.au/mc/reviews/screen/bone.html> ([your date of access]).
APA style:
Kate Douglas. (1999) Collecting thrills: 'The bone collector'. M/C Reviews 6 Dec. 1999.
<http://www.uq.edu.au/mc/reviews/screen/bone.html> ([your date of access]).
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![[image]](http://movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/guide/02157901.jpg)