An Original and Intriguing Thriller

Rating: 9/10 (25 June 2004)

In a heavy rainy night, ten strangers are trapped in a road motel located over a former Indian cemetery with its weird manager Larry (John Hawkes). The group has to spend the night in the place, and is composed of former detective and driver Ed (John Cusak), who is driving the spoiled actress Caroline Suzanne (Rebecca DeMornay); detective Rhodes (Ray Liotta), who is transporting the prisoner Robert Maine (Jake Busey); the prostitute Paris (Amanda Peet), who is traveling alone; the young just married couple Ginny (Clea Duvall) and Lou (William Lee Scott); and Alice York (Leila Kenzel), George York (John C. McGinley) and their son Timmy York (Bret Loehr). All the nearby roads are flooded and without access, and all the means of communication are not working. Meanwhile, a meeting composed of Dr. Malick (Alfred Molina), the Defense Lawyer (Carmen Argenziano), the District Attorney (Marshall Bell), the Assistant District Attorney (Matt Letscher) and Judge Taylor (Holmes Osborne) are deciding the fate of serial killer with multiple personalities Bailiff Jenkins (Joe Hart), who is convicted to death penalty on the next day. Wow, what a great surprise! This movie is indeed an original and intriguing thriller. I dare to say that it is impossible to solve the mystery without a spoiler. The excellent cast is supported by a great screenplay and direction, and the viewer keeps guessing what is happening along 90 minutes and the genre of this movie (horror / crime / mystery / suspense?), until the last scene, where the plot is satisfactorily resolved. Highly recommended. My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): `Identidade' (`Identity')