Starring: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, and January Jones
Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra
Screenplay by: Oliver Butcher and Stephen Cornwell
"They had me convinced I was crazy. But when they came to take me I knew." Identity theft is a major problem in today's world, but it can't get much worse than the situation present in Unknown.
While on a trip to a biotechnology conference in Berlin, Germany, Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) is involved in a car crash putting him in a coma for four days. He awakens to find out that not only has his identity been taken, but he has been replaced by someone who also claims to be him. Even his wife Elizabeth (January Jones) claims to not recognize him. He begins to believe that his entire life has been thrown away, or never existed at all. As he finds people who can help him remember what happened to him before the crash, he becomes part of a conspiracy involving assassination attempts on an Arab leader, Prince Shada (Mido Hamada), who is investing money with another scientist at the convention. Will Martin Harris reclaim his identity, or become part of something greater in the process?
Liam Neeson delivers gives an excellent performance in playing the role of a man who seems to be trying to run away from a conspiracy. It's kind of like he's playing Jason Bourne. I like how he doesn't fall for the girl who helps him find his identity, Gina (Diane Kruger) and how she doesn't fall for him. He handles the situation of another Martin Harris taking his place too rationally. I would have liked to see him freaking out a little more as it would add more drama and a bit more excitement to the story. Neeson delivers the best performance in the film.
The story has few original elements to it, but it has a twist that is almost impossible to see coming at the beginning of the film. It's one of those story lines where you have to pay very close attention or you'll miss something important. At first, it is rather boring with little action, but we learn a lot about where this situation Harris has gotten into comes from. Fortunately, all of the characters are talked about, if not met, in the first half of the movie. Something that isn't really original to this kind of story is how the main character slowly goes insane trying to find something, in this case, his true identity. Towards the middle and ending of the film, it becomes much more interesting as more of the puzzle pieces come together in a very unexpected way. But the highlight is the ending. This is what makes the movie worth watching and what makes it great.
Overall, it's not that original of a story or that exciting until the end. I recommend that if you've got nothing better to do and can't decide on a movie to watch in the next few weeks, think about Unknown. But don't blink because you'll probably miss something.
3 and 1/2 stars
Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra
Screenplay by: Oliver Butcher and Stephen Cornwell
"They had me convinced I was crazy. But when they came to take me I knew." Identity theft is a major problem in today's world, but it can't get much worse than the situation present in Unknown.
While on a trip to a biotechnology conference in Berlin, Germany, Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) is involved in a car crash putting him in a coma for four days. He awakens to find out that not only has his identity been taken, but he has been replaced by someone who also claims to be him. Even his wife Elizabeth (January Jones) claims to not recognize him. He begins to believe that his entire life has been thrown away, or never existed at all. As he finds people who can help him remember what happened to him before the crash, he becomes part of a conspiracy involving assassination attempts on an Arab leader, Prince Shada (Mido Hamada), who is investing money with another scientist at the convention. Will Martin Harris reclaim his identity, or become part of something greater in the process?
Liam Neeson delivers gives an excellent performance in playing the role of a man who seems to be trying to run away from a conspiracy. It's kind of like he's playing Jason Bourne. I like how he doesn't fall for the girl who helps him find his identity, Gina (Diane Kruger) and how she doesn't fall for him. He handles the situation of another Martin Harris taking his place too rationally. I would have liked to see him freaking out a little more as it would add more drama and a bit more excitement to the story. Neeson delivers the best performance in the film.
The story has few original elements to it, but it has a twist that is almost impossible to see coming at the beginning of the film. It's one of those story lines where you have to pay very close attention or you'll miss something important. At first, it is rather boring with little action, but we learn a lot about where this situation Harris has gotten into comes from. Fortunately, all of the characters are talked about, if not met, in the first half of the movie. Something that isn't really original to this kind of story is how the main character slowly goes insane trying to find something, in this case, his true identity. Towards the middle and ending of the film, it becomes much more interesting as more of the puzzle pieces come together in a very unexpected way. But the highlight is the ending. This is what makes the movie worth watching and what makes it great.
Overall, it's not that original of a story or that exciting until the end. I recommend that if you've got nothing better to do and can't decide on a movie to watch in the next few weeks, think about Unknown. But don't blink because you'll probably miss something.
3 and 1/2 stars
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