Ethan Hawke: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

1. Costa - Taking Lives

Taking Lives Hawke's worst turn to date, however, has to be in the snoozy erotic thriller Taking Lives. The actor plays an art salesman named James Costa, who becomes involved in a sexual relationship with a tasty FBI profiler (Angelina Jolie). The problem with the film on the whole is that it's too silly for its own good while playing it straight; as a result, the performances of Hawke and everyone else suffer, especially when it's revealed that Costa is actually Asher, the killer the cops have been hunting all along. The conceit has to work on the basis that we like Hawke as Costa, yet we don't; he comes across as weird and nervy rather than suave and charming. As a result, it's not actually super surprising when he reveals his true identity, and the crescendo this payoff builds to - with Jolie revealing a fake pregnant belly to trick him - is utterly laughable. Still, unlike Jolie, Hawke managed to avoid receiving a Razzie nomination for his disappointing work here. Which Ethan Hawke performances are your favourite and least favourite? Let us know in the comments below.
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Contributor

Frequently sleep-deprived film addict and video game obsessive who spends more time than is healthy in darkened London screening rooms. Follow his twitter on @ShaunMunroFilm or e-mail him at shaneo632 [at] gmail.com.