If you want a top-notch thriller and mystery, this is the one

Rating: 8/10 (6 October 2009)

There's hokum and there's hokum, which is to say there's bad hokum and good hokum. Identity, directed by James Mangold and written by Michael Cooney, is top-class, 24-carat, Grade A+++ hokum, the real McCoy. And that is meant as outright praise. From the intriguing opening shots to the final scene which, in a sense, wraps it all up, Identity scores big time. Other IMDb reviewers have criticised the film for its cod - and thus very wrong - psychology as regards the psychopathology of multiple personality disorder sufferers (or whatever the correct clinical name is). The only response to that is: who cares? If films always tried to get the psychology right, there would be far fewer films. Who cares? is my response to the occasional plot hole, but I shan't even bother listing them here, as the exercise would be pointless. Nor will I outline in tedious detail what happens, as to my tastes is too often the practice here. If you feel you need to know that before watching Identity, then please look elsewhere. I will simply say that Mangold's film is a very clever and very entertaining mix of thriller, suspense, horror and whodunit, with even the occasional dark joke. For this reviewer John Cusack and Ray Liotta are always a joy to watch, but the rest of the cast, not least Amanda Peet, complement their fine performances well. Fundamentally, the success of Identity is rooted in a clever, well-plotted and, in its way, rather original story by Cooney. But that story, made into a film, might well have died on its feet in lesser hands than those of Mangold. And even then it might not have been so hugely entertaining were it not for the cast, each of whom is, to some extent, a stereotype (what stage, novel or film character isn't?), but each of which is brought superbly to life and given a distinct identity by the actor who portrays him or her. I bought the DVD of Identity after watching Mangold's remake of 3.10 To Yuma which I enjoyed a lot. I have also bought, but not yet watched Cop Land, which, however, garnered less critical praise. But Mangold (who works with his producer wife Cathy Konrad) is a director to watch. But at the end of the day Identity's success is rooted in the screenplay by Cooney. If you like being entertained, held in suspense, if you like horror and intelligent whodunits, Identity is the film for you.