The Bone Collector/Sea of Love Double Feature (DVD, 2007, Universal Double Feature; 2-Disc Set)

"Sea of Love" is older than "Bone Collector," so I'll provide a critique of it first, followed by "Bone Collector."

In "Sea of Love," Al Pacino & John Goodman are homicide detective partners on the difficult to follow trail of a NYC serial killer of men who die in bed, face down, naked, shot to death. The motown song, "Sea of Love," is repeatedly playing in the apartment of one of the murder victims. When an older neighbor lady complains about the music, the man's found dead in bed.

The homicide detectives set up a sting believing that a woman is the serial killer. Ellen Barkin shows up in the restaurant after answering the personals ad the cops place. Pacino falls for her. But, Goodman's got a real bad feeling that she's the killer. Thus, the tensions in the film begin to build to a very high crescendo until the moment when it is revealed if she is or is not the serial killer. "Sea of Love," is one of the hottest romance/detective stories I've ever seen, to date. It's around 20 years old & still has the power to keep me entranced as Pacino & Barkin sizzle. It has a totally surprising ending.

Why it's paired off with "Bone Collector," I believe, is because they have a common couple of threads: 1) a serial killer is loose in NYC 2) the stories are about homicide detectives going after them 3) both films are very intense 4) both stories are coupled with a dynamic building romance with major actors who deliver great performances. Now to "Bone Collector":

Denzel Washington is the forensic homicide detective who wrote the books about "How To . . .". However, during one of his daring murder scene forensic excavations, there's a concrete collapse on top of him that leaves him paralyzed & with a severe brain injury. His personal attendant is Queen Latifah!

When she is just about to move into a very cushy police position, Angeline Jolie answers a call for a cop at the sight of the first murder of the series that we see. A child has found a hand sticking up from gravel & Jolie finds the rest of the man. In order to preserve evidence the killer left on a train rail, Jolie puts herself in the path of the train waving it to stop with only her flashlight.

When Washington learns of this, though he's no longer working as a forensic homicide detective because he's permanently disabled, he wants to meet Jolie. While she's there Washington figures out that the wife of the dead man she found is still alive & about to die. Against her wishes, he sends Jolie to do the forensics, even though this is anything but her speciality or where she was headed!

Jolie, Washington claims, is a natural forensic homicide detective & he's determined to make her into his protege--even against all of her protests. The tension between Jolie & Washington starts at a boil then brews down to a simmer while the tension of finding the serial killer sharply escalates. Jolie, Latifah & Washington piece the puzzle together. They also deliver terrific performances. The story is gripping & like "Sea of Love," has a totally surprising ending.

An interesting tidbit is that though both films are about serial murders, there's very little actual violence. Though both films are about NYC cops, there's hardly any profane language. Plus, though both films are about truly sick psychopathic killers their psychopathology is not the focus; but rather, steaming romance is. Both films also include a healthy bit of comic relief with Goodman and Latifah, respectively.