Identity Review
by Richard A. Zwelling (razwee AT yahoo DOT com)April 28th, 2003
IDENTITY
*** (out of ****)
a film review by
Richard A. Zwelling
As a film reviewer, I believe that my job is not only to shamelessly plaster my opinions all over my reviews, but also to give an informed recommendation to all audiences. That being said, my rating for Identity is higher than it would be if I was just giving my opinion, and I feel that it is with good reason.
This is the latest entry into a growing number of recent films that makes an attempt at a clever, mind-bending twist. While the most substantial twist in Identity is not necessarily revealed at the very tail end of the film, I feel that an audience member's enjoyment of the film as a whole will unquestionably hinge upon his or her take on the surprise. I will also say (and I promise that I am telling the truth) that I had a sense of what the surprise twist would be about a third of the way into the film, although I felt that it would make for an awkward conclusion. I was unfortunately right (again, this is only my opinion).
I feel justified, however, in rating Identity as I did, because prior to the revelation, we are given a good hour of well executed, solidly directed, horror/mystery material. The surprise twist, I must concede, is so cleverly and carefully woven into the fabric of the story that viewers who do not catch on will undoubtedly be going for a thrill ride, and those who enjoy the twist will consider the film, as a whole, very worthwhile.
My use of horror and mystery as the genres with which to describe Identity are no accident, considering the script's influences. The use of a mysterious motel, a shady manager, and prominently labeled door numbers all exhibit eerie echoes of Alfred Hitchcock's now immortal horror classic Psycho. I even felt a shiver go down my spine at the sight of room number one. On the mystery end, the plot device of ten strangers coming together at a mysterious location and then getting picked off one by one is taken from Dame Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. Respectably, screenwriter Michael Cooney does not use these influences for the purpose of regurgitation, but for the enhancement of suspense and plot development.
The mysterious motel in question is located somewhere in Nevada, and the ten players find themselves stranded there after a sequence of extraordinary circumstances (as well as flooded exit roads) forces them to take refuge. Among them are Ed (John Cusack), an ex-cop turned limo driver; Caroline (Rebecca De Mornay), an obnoxious, faded actress who is Ed's passenger; Rhodes (Ray Liotta) a police officer transferring a convicted murder (Jake Busey); Paris (Amanda Peet), a hooker who is escaping Las Vegas; George (John C. McGinley), a bookish, bumbling type with his wife (Leila Kenzle) and child (Bret Loehr); newlyweds Lou (William Lee Scott) and Ginny (Clea DuVall); and Larry, the hotel manager (John Hawkes).
While the tale of the ten unfortunates unravels, another story is woven into the mix and given exposure intermittently throughout the first two-thirds of the film. A psychiatrist (Alfred Molina) is reviewing the case of one of his patients, a convicted mass murderer who is set for execution in less than twenty-four hours. He has until then to convince the judge and the prosecution that his patient is legally insane, and therefore was not aware of his crimes. By law, those who kill victims in body, but are shown not to be fully cognizant and comprehending of their actions in mind are protected against capital punishment, and the psychiatrist is attempting to save his client's life.
The manner in which these two stories are presented together in parallel clearly suggests a connection, but the script cleverly keeps the stories separate and seemingly unrelated for the first two-thirds of the film. As the motel story unfolds, and circumstances get increasingly more bizarre and convoluted, it becomes easy to assume that there will be no possible way to explain what has transpired. It is at this precise moment that the two stories merge, and everything is brought abruptly and shockingly into focus.
Although there are no immediately apparent clues in the first two-thirds that point directly towards the twist, there are certainly subtle suggestions throughout, and they are certainly possible to catch on to. A viewer's discovery of the twist may lessen the reward upon its eventual revelation, but if that viewer enjoys the twist, then the final act will be very rewarding.
From what I've said, it must be obvious that I did not find the twist as enjoyable. I don't want to say so much that I give anything away, but I will say that while the twist makes sense logically and pieces everything together, I did not find it as mind-bending as it intends to be. In addition, I felt that it made for a confusing and unrewarding conclusion to the film.
However, in considering that the whole of Identity represents a good, solid, fun popcorn flick (with some food for the noggin as well), and that those who enjoy its surprises will certainly find it a rewarding experience, I must recommend it as a more-than-worthy entry into the currently emaciated body of quality 2003 films.
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
