Identity Review
by Shannon Patrick Sullivan (shannon AT morgan DOT ucs DOT mun DOT ca)April 28th, 2003
IDENTITY (2003) / ** 1/2
Directed by James Mangold. Screenplay by Michael Cooney. Starring John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet. Running time: 90 minutes. Rated AA for violent scenes by the MFCB. Reviewed on April 26th, 2003.
By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN
Synopsis: A rainstorm strands a group of people -- including a limo driver (Cusack) ferrying an actress (Rebecca De Mornay) to Hollywood, a prostitute (Peet) searching for a new life, and a cop (Liotta) escorting a prisoner (Jake Busey) -- at an isolated hotel. Soon the guests start dying. But how are these events connected to a hearing to save the life of a convicted killer (Pruitt Taylor Vince)?
Review: Competently told and stylishly made, "Identity" nonetheless falls short of the quality for which the filmmakers were no doubt striving; the result is closer to typical, humdrum slasher fare than one might initially expect. The problems with "Identity" are several, and while none of them are crippling by themselves, together they sorely hampered my enjoyment of the film. First and foremost there's the movie's unfortunate tendency to telegraph its premise; there are neat ideas underpinning "Identity", but the astute viewer will guess most of them long before they ideally might. Then there's the ease of identifying the killer, which should be well within the grasp of any fan of the genre. This reviewer had the list of culprits narrowed down to two by the end of the first act -- one turned out to be the chief red herring, and the other the real deal. Also, there's a general lack of characterisation here; it's no surprise to find good actors like Cusack, Peet and Busey playing familiar roles, because the filmmakers rely heavily on precisely that familiarity to fill in the personality gaps. It may sound as though I really didn't like "Identity", but that's not the case. The acting is good, the script engaging, and there are a couple of nice scares. But like many would-be thrillers, it's a movie which hardly feels as though it's lived up to its potential.
Copyright © 2003 Shannon Patrick Sullivan.
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