1 Apr 2008

Untraceable

Director: Gregory Hoblit

Starring: Diane Lane, Billy Burke, Colin Hanks, Joseph Cross, Mary Beth Hurt

Release: 2008-04-01

Most gay women would agree that Diane Lane is one fine-lookin' lady. At 43, she still exudes sultriness and sex appeal. What's more, her acting skills have only gotten better with age — as shown in her solid new thriller, Untraceable.

Diane plays an FBI agent in charge of investigating a serial killer who kidnaps people and tortures them online. The more people log onto his website, the faster he would kill the victim. Diane has to find the killer quickly before his infamy spreads far and wide, accelerating the number of murders he commits...

The ingenious plot taps into the idea that the Internet allows people to display their worst vices anonymously. The fact that they can remain faceless on the Internet encourages them to do terrible things — in this case, log on to the killer's website and become accomplices to his heinous crimes.

It's a truly clever script well-directed by Gregory Hoblit, who last helmed the similarly taut thriller Fracture (with Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling). Gregory's long history of directing cop shows like NYPD Blue and Hill Street Blues ensures that the film is in very good hands. Diane's strong presence also keeps us watching, helping us forgive the slightly pat ending.
Don't miss it.