Identity (Extended Edition)
3.5/4
Starring: John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, John Hawkes, Alfred Molina, Clea DuVall, John C. McGinley, William Lee Scott, Gary Busey, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Rebecca DeMornay
Rated R for Strong Violence and Language
The thing that makes "whodunits" easier to pull off in writing than on film is that words take more time to read than images. It takes longer to read about what is happening than to see it. There is a wider range in which to stretch the truth (which is crucial in a "whodunit") than in a movie. "Identity" proves that it is possible to create a superior whodunit when you have a smart script and a talented director.
Eleven people arrive at an out of the way motel during a terrible storm. The roads are blocked either way and they're all trapped. They're a varied bunch. A man named Ed (Cusack) driving a past-her-prime actress named Caroline Suzanne (DeMornay) to Los Angeles. A family of three, George (McGinley), Alice (Leila Kenzle) and son Timmy (Bret Loehr) seek refuge after an accident. A newly married couple Ginny (DuVall) and Lou (Scott). A prostitute named Paris (Peet) on her way to start a new life in Florida. A cop named Rhodes (Liotta) transporting a serial killer named Robert (Busey). And the weird hotel manager, Larry (Hawkes). As soon as everyone gets settled in, people start dying. Meanwhile, a psychiatrist (Molina) is desperately trying to save a spree killer (Vince) from a lethal injection by proving him insane.
One could crudely call "Identity" a slasher movie, but it's an unfair title. Although there are some plot similarities (a rising body count, victims dying in mysterious ways, and an unseen killer), it's quite a bit different than "I Know What You Did Last Summer." Or "Scream" for that matter. This movie has more in common with Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock than Michael Myers or Freddy Krueger. For one thing, the characters are smart. They don't make the same stupid mistakes that everyone who gets stabbed/shot/eviscerated or otherwise murdered in a horror movie. Second of all, it's actually about something: identity (more than that I will not say).
It goes without saying that these two stories are connected. In a movie like this, that's a given. The difference here is two-fold: a, it's not possible to guess how, and b, knowing the truth doesn't diminish the suspense (it actually raises the stakes).
The acting varies, but overall it works. John Cusack, appearing in a very different movie than he's usually in (this is a scary, almost humorless affair), and his likable personality serves him well. Ray Liotta is also very good as the knowledgeable cop. Amanda Peet, who should have gotten an Oscar for her performance in "The Whole Nine Yards," is uneven. She's good when she's low-key, but when she becomes a screaming, crying victim, she goes over-the-top (this, by the way, describes the acting by the usually horrible Clea DuVall as well). John Hawkes is his usual off-the-wall self. The rest of the cast does their jobs, except for Rebecca DeMornay who is horrible as usual.
This is a writing and directing triumph by Michael Cooney and James Mangold. Cooney, who's previous credits were the horror-comedies "Jack Frost" (not the Michael Keaton family film) and it's sequel, "Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman," has crafted a superior mystery. It plays by its own set of rules and keeps surprising us (and the ending twist is actually earned). Mangold, whose resume is incredibly diverse, manages the twists very well. We are never sure of what's coming next.
Does the film hold up during post-viewing examination? No, but then again most thrillers, especially ones of this ilk, don't either (serial killers always have this impossibly complex plans to put the cops through the ringer only to end up dead anyway). There are flaws, minor ones, that are apparent during the film as well: some background characters show up and we don't know how they got there, and the climax isn't as clean as it could be.
Still, for lovers of whodunits, this is a good one to check out.
Starring: John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, John Hawkes, Alfred Molina, Clea DuVall, John C. McGinley, William Lee Scott, Gary Busey, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Rebecca DeMornay
Rated R for Strong Violence and Language
The thing that makes "whodunits" easier to pull off in writing than on film is that words take more time to read than images. It takes longer to read about what is happening than to see it. There is a wider range in which to stretch the truth (which is crucial in a "whodunit") than in a movie. "Identity" proves that it is possible to create a superior whodunit when you have a smart script and a talented director.
Eleven people arrive at an out of the way motel during a terrible storm. The roads are blocked either way and they're all trapped. They're a varied bunch. A man named Ed (Cusack) driving a past-her-prime actress named Caroline Suzanne (DeMornay) to Los Angeles. A family of three, George (McGinley), Alice (Leila Kenzle) and son Timmy (Bret Loehr) seek refuge after an accident. A newly married couple Ginny (DuVall) and Lou (Scott). A prostitute named Paris (Peet) on her way to start a new life in Florida. A cop named Rhodes (Liotta) transporting a serial killer named Robert (Busey). And the weird hotel manager, Larry (Hawkes). As soon as everyone gets settled in, people start dying. Meanwhile, a psychiatrist (Molina) is desperately trying to save a spree killer (Vince) from a lethal injection by proving him insane.
One could crudely call "Identity" a slasher movie, but it's an unfair title. Although there are some plot similarities (a rising body count, victims dying in mysterious ways, and an unseen killer), it's quite a bit different than "I Know What You Did Last Summer." Or "Scream" for that matter. This movie has more in common with Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock than Michael Myers or Freddy Krueger. For one thing, the characters are smart. They don't make the same stupid mistakes that everyone who gets stabbed/shot/eviscerated or otherwise murdered in a horror movie. Second of all, it's actually about something: identity (more than that I will not say).
It goes without saying that these two stories are connected. In a movie like this, that's a given. The difference here is two-fold: a, it's not possible to guess how, and b, knowing the truth doesn't diminish the suspense (it actually raises the stakes).
The acting varies, but overall it works. John Cusack, appearing in a very different movie than he's usually in (this is a scary, almost humorless affair), and his likable personality serves him well. Ray Liotta is also very good as the knowledgeable cop. Amanda Peet, who should have gotten an Oscar for her performance in "The Whole Nine Yards," is uneven. She's good when she's low-key, but when she becomes a screaming, crying victim, she goes over-the-top (this, by the way, describes the acting by the usually horrible Clea DuVall as well). John Hawkes is his usual off-the-wall self. The rest of the cast does their jobs, except for Rebecca DeMornay who is horrible as usual.
This is a writing and directing triumph by Michael Cooney and James Mangold. Cooney, who's previous credits were the horror-comedies "Jack Frost" (not the Michael Keaton family film) and it's sequel, "Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman," has crafted a superior mystery. It plays by its own set of rules and keeps surprising us (and the ending twist is actually earned). Mangold, whose resume is incredibly diverse, manages the twists very well. We are never sure of what's coming next.
Does the film hold up during post-viewing examination? No, but then again most thrillers, especially ones of this ilk, don't either (serial killers always have this impossibly complex plans to put the cops through the ringer only to end up dead anyway). There are flaws, minor ones, that are apparent during the film as well: some background characters show up and we don't know how they got there, and the climax isn't as clean as it could be.
Still, for lovers of whodunits, this is a good one to check out.
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