Unkown - Movie Review

Imagine waking up from a brief coma with your recollections a fog of disjointed memories. What if your memories seem to add up to a conclusion that isn't exactly right? Or, maybe your memories are accurate and your find yourself in a broad conspiracy. That is not hard to imagine when you are dealing with international espionage, the heartbeat of Unknown.

Dr Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) is scheduled to speak at an international scientific conference in Berlin. He and his wife, Elizabeth (January Jones) arrive at the Berlin airport in a downpour. Their rush results in Dr. Harris leaving his briefcase at the airport. He discovers the missing briefcase when he arrives at this hotel. While Elizabeth checks in at the hotel, Dr. Harris catches another taxi to take him back to the airport. His return trip ends in an accident.

Dr. Harris loses consciousness, awaking in a hospital with only a few possessions that were on his person at the time of the accident. As his memories begin coming into focus, Harris is overcome with an urgency to contact his wife. He leaves the hospital against the advice of his physician and heads to the hotel. His arrival at the hotel begins creating more questions than it answers. Another man (Aidan Quinn) claims to be Dr. Harris and Gina plays along. He ends up seeking out the cab driver, Gina (Diane Kruger), to help him piece his life back together. But he may not be ready to find out the truth.

On one level, the writing in Unknown is brilliant. This film demonstrates why the genre is my favorite. The film takes viewers in one direction, crafting an illusion that allows the audience to draw their own conclusions. The film then uses sleight of hand to begin shifting the direction of the film after the audience has already bought the premise. This allows for an excellent twist for an ending. However, it is also a mixed bag. The film had some contrivances and also required the audience to believe in a fundamental character change. When you assign attributes to a character that you later find are inaccurate, it is hard to revise that initial impression. This film exploits that fact, allowing the audience to accept an ending that seems somewhat contradictory for the lead character. I suspended disbelief and accepted the contrivances because the story itself was smart.

Liam Neeson is an interesting actor. It almost seems like he has no range, but when he is within his range he is flawless. This role was right up his alley. Neeson was exceptional as the conflicted Dr. Harris. I could care less about January Jones, but her role was not pivotal. Kruger did have a pivotal role and great chemistry with Neeson. Her performance helped seal the deal for me. There were a couple of smaller roles for Bruno Ganz and Frank Langella. They both owned the scenes they appeared in. Aside from the forgettable Jones, the cast was impeccable.

While Unknown wasn't particularly sexual, there was a bit of sensuality. The film didn't have excessive language issues, nudity or drug use. About the only factor that really seemed to affect the rating was violence and intense action scenes. The MPAA gave Unknown a PG-13 rating. I didn't find myself questioning any of the material. It was well done suspense. I wouldn't necessarily restrict this film by age. It wasn't very objectionable to me. The concept might be lost on younger viewers more than finding the material questionable.

I enjoyed Unknown. It is a good example of what I like about this genre. It takes an interesting premise that has been done many times before and adds a new twist. The twist makes the film work, but does require a bit of leeway on credibility. The acting was excellent and the action scenes intense. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and have no problem recommending it. I liked it more than the IMDb voters who are collectively just under seven. 8/10.

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