Starring: Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie, Queen Latifah, Michael Rooker, Ed O’Neill
Director: Phillip Noyce
Genre: Thriller
Cert: 15
Released: 1999

Another sadistic and violent thriller to add to the tons of others flying around – “Seven”, “Kiss the Girls”, “Fallen”, for example.

Quadriplegic ex-forensics expert Lincoln Rhyme (Washington) teams up with quick-thinking cop Amelia Donaghy (Jolie) after he is impressed by her on-the-spot forensic work at a brutal murder scene. The serial murderer, responsible for the elaborate deaths of his victims, chooses to leave clues at each murder scene (why??). With Captain Howard Cheney (Rooker) undermining the pair at every turn it’s a race against time to find out what the murderer is trying to tell them before it’s too late.

I suspected a muted performance from the bed-ridden Denzel Washington but this does not materialise. His performance is as striking as you would expect and he is ably assisted by Academy award winner, Jolie, who gets down and dirty in some very unpleasant murder scenes.

The storyline is not without it’s problems. The way in which Washington deciphers clues requires willing suspense of disbelief and the characterisation of Captain Cheney is a painfully “bad cop” stereotype.

But there are warm and enjoyable turns from Queen Latifah as Rhyme’s personal nurse, and Ed O’Neill as the straight-as-a-die Detective Sellitto.