Diane Lane’s ‘Untraceable’ Plagued With Predictable, Connect-the-Dots Plotline

CHICAGO – Gregory Hoblit’s “Untraceable” is a predictable thriller that takes us into the masterminds of cybercrime in Portland. Diane Lane plays FBI agent Jennifer Marsh and heads up a cybercrime department that’s chasing an Internet killer.

Diane Lane in “Untraceable”. Photo credit: IMDb

The contradictive story leads us into the path of the serial killer – played by Joseph Cross – who seeks revenge on an apathetic society focused on Internet violence.

The character grotesquely tortures and kills victims online at his KillWithMe.com site.

He sets up extravagant torture devices so victims endure more pain with each and every additional Web site visitor. The process continually expedites them to their death.

As the killer creates original torture techniques using excessive Heparin, heat lamps and battery acid, the FBI collects clues that make the predictability of the film nearly tangible.

Josh Brolin and Diane Lane for “Untraceable” on Jan. 22, 2008. Photo credit: WireImage.com

Aside from a connect-the-dots plotline, the script is tech savvy and rather smart for the average suspense genre film. It explains advanced coding techniques and FireWire details. However, the film is lacking in suspenseful energy and trots along from beginning to end in a mundane fashion.

Lane’s performance holds the distinctive strength that she brings to the silver screen and makes one wonder why we don’t see more of her in bolder roles. Characters by Colin Hanks and Billy Burkes also hold their own and let the acting in this film become its strongest quality.

The ethics of Internet violence and apathy are undertones throughout the story and the question of why our society has become numb to such evil and cruelty is a nice offering to bring to the table of serial killer films.

While the conviction seems justified for a moment, the amount of violence the killer displays completely contradicts the lesson. His anger toward Internet cruelty seems to only perpetuate brutality and makes absolutely no sense.

While certain aspects are comparable to great suspense films like “Seven” and “The Vanishing,” the underlying ethical lessons in the film pluck the thrill out of the thriller. What’s left is a preachy and predictable paradox that still holds entertainment value but is ultimately best waiting for on DVD.

By ALLISON PITACCIO Staff Writer HollywoodChicago.com allee@hollywoodchicago.com