The Bone Collector didn’t exactly impress critics, but it had a profound effect on Angelina Jolie in a number of ways.
Following Seven’s enormous success in 1995, every studio was rushing to produce their own movie about a serial murderer.
The Bone Collector, based on Jeffery Deaver’s 1997 crime novel, was Universal Pictures’ response to the increasing demand for gripping thrillers. The picture features a stellar cast that includes Queen Latifah, an Oscar nominee, and two Oscar winners, Angelina Jolie and Denzel Washington.
The picture, which is set in the harsh streets of New York City, centers on Denzel Washington’s character, a bright but paraplegic homicide detective. Despite his physical limitations, he plays a crucial role in solving the most bizarre and puzzling murders in the city because of his unmatched razor-sharp mind.
Amelia, portrayed by Angelina Jolie, is a recently hired patrol officer who goes with him. As the two dig into a terrifying string of killings, she is enthusiastic yet inexperienced. The city itself turns into a maze of peril and deceit as they race against the clock, finding clues that bring them closer to a lethal murderer.
Angelina Jolie reportedly became enthralled with the storyline for The Bone Collector the moment she read it. She recalled being scared and unable to put the script down while she was by herself in her apartment.
She once admitted, “It scared me to death.” When I eventually put it down, I couldn’t stop thinking about it because I couldn’t stop reading it. It troubled me.
The intricacy of Lincoln Rhyme, played by Denzel Washington, is among the film’s most distinctive features.
Lincoln, a talented homicide investigator, has quadriplegia and is immobilized from the neck down. This heightens the tension in the relationship between him and Angelina Jolie’s character, Amelia. Amelia regularly reports back to Lincoln, who leads her through the inquiry from the comfort of his bed, while she goes out into the field to look into crime scenes.
“A huge turn-on”
Most movies use physical chemistry to develop romance, but for these two characters, their love was strengthened by the lack of physicality.
The emotional and intellectual bond between them—a subtle but potent intimacy that went beyond conventional romance—became the driving force since Lincoln was unable to act on his sentiments.
Angelina Jolie discussed her character’s relationship with Lincoln with Dark Horizons shortly after the premiere of The Bone Collector. She described the concept of “seducing someone with your mind” as a “huge turn-on.”
As she considered the relationship between Amelia and Lincoln, she remarked, “What’s fascinating are the journeys these two characters undertake, and the deep relationship that evolves between them.”
She was particularly struck by a sequence in the movie where Amelia seduces Lincoln by using both her intelligence and her sense of smell. Even Jolie went so far as to refer to it as “the best sex I ever had.”
I felt very alone.
It appears that Angelina was talking about the special mental bond that formed between her and Denzel during the shooting process.
Even though the two never had a love relationship in real life, the intimacy they developed via their characters was unquestionably strong in Angelina’s opinion. Although their intimacy was not physical, it was evident from her statements that she found it extremely satisfying.
However, there were difficulties encountered throughout the filming of The Bone Collector. Angelina Jolie also disclosed that she felt “really lonely” during the event, which caused her to have self-doubt episodes.
“I went a little crazy and it was really lonely,” she confessed. I thought I was incapable of doing this from the start, of doing this physically, of leading a movie and being in charge of it, of saving a life and going inside and becoming a police officer.
Is a sequel imminent?
“It nearly drove me insane because she [her character, Amelia] was so insane inside,” Jolie continued, indicating that the role had a negative psychological impact on her.
On November 5, 1999, the movie made its debut. Even while reviewers gave it mixed reviews, it nonetheless made a whopping $151.5 million at the box office, far more than its $48 million budget.
Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie are expected to reprise their legendary roles in the next sequel, according to allegations that surfaced in June 2023. Seeing these two Hollywood celebrities again would be thrilling, especially in light of their electrifying on-screen chemistry from 26 years ago!
