James Mangold's psychological thriller/slasher...

Rating: Null/10 (10 March 2004)

* There's a slight spoiler herein, but nothing that ruins the plot

James Mangold's Identity received the most divided reviews of 2003. Playing like a mystery-slasher with a psychological film noir twist, it's almost like an authentic amalgamation of elements from Ten Little Indians, Angel Heart and the kind of shocking conclusion usually found in movies like Jacob's Ladder. Some non-complimentary word of mouth didn't keep audiences away, and the film made a tidy sum in America alone, before repeating the success this side of the Atlantic. I'm of the firm belief that Mangold is one of the most talented and unfairly underrated filmmakers working in cinema today. Cop Land especially impressed me, I also liked Girl, Interrupted and let's face it - any one that can drag a credible performance from Sylvester Stallone must be doing something right! All of his efforts have boasted excellent casting decisions, from re-teaming DeNiro and Keitel to winning Angelina Jolie an Oscar; - the man is certainly one to be watched! Shot almost entirely on a soundstage, this includes some of the most realistic sets and impressive lighting ever set to celluloid.

After a brilliant credit sequence filled to the brim with subtle clues of what lies ahead of you, we jump headfirst into the action. Whilst chauffeuring a conceited actress (Rebecca De Morney) across a desolate dessert road, limo driver Ed (John Cusack) accidentally runs down an unfortunate mother in front of her quiet and traumatised son (Bret Loehr). Her husband (John C. McGinely) is mortified, so Ed drives them to the nearest motel to call for help. The area is in the midst of one of the worst storms in recent history and on arrival they learn that the phone-lines are down and they have no contact with the outside world. The crisis fuelled family and the clearly disgruntled actress render themselves a room from the dodgy manager (John Hawkes), whilst the driver heads out into the gloomy night sky to search for a hospital or medical centre. On his journey he picks up stranded ex-hooker Paris (Amanda Peet) before crashing his Lincoln into a ditch of water that has been created by the excessive downpour. Luckily another car pulls up seconds later and the newly-weds (Clea DuVall and William Scott Lee) inform them that the roads are also flooded in the opposite direction. The group return to the creepy motel, where it seems that they're marooned for the night, whether they like it or not. Things take a turn for the worse, when a grizzled cop (Ray Liotta) that's transferring a homicidal maniac (Jake Busey) turn up in the car park also looking for somewhere to bed down until the weather clears up. A short time later the actress is murdered and decapitated; they find her blooded head in a tumble dryer with a key scripted with the number 10, planted underneath. And so begins the countdown of terror as each of the visitors is brutally murdered by an unseen psychopath, who leaves corresponding keys, by their corpses.
A strong cast has been a necessity to all of Mangold's movies. Here, the always-dependable Cusack plays it straight and Liotta delivers an intense and three-dimensional performance, leading a studded ensemble of intriguing and capable character actors. Too many studios have ignored John C. McGinely for far too long. I believe that he nearly always gives a credible performance in almost everything that he's done. Playing a panicking but quaint stepfather to a needy son was strictly against his typical type, but he handles the part with finesse, never over-pleading for audience's sympathy and just giving us a convincing turn. John Hawkes almost steals the show from the leads on occasion as the shaky motel manager and Rebecca De Morney proves here, more than ever, that she's an actress with an incredible amount of front! Seriously, she brings a great quantity of life to her brief cameo, still looking ravishing as she hits the big four-zero. Even though the characters are introduced in quick succession, it never feels like their personas are underdeveloped and the director does well to expand their individual characteristics early in the runtime, so that he can let the plot take over and dispel any unnecessary time-wasting.

Certain scenes are riddled with a great deal of suspense and the atmosphere is set from the off, never loosening its grip on the viewer's intrigue. The film may not be graphic in the terms that bloodhounds are typically accustomed with, but like Halloween, Chainsaw Massacre or Psycho, Mangold portrays the message through suggestion rather than gratuitous gore. Alan Silvestri's score whips up an amazing amount of tension and the lighting is no less than excellent, even filling in for the music, in the scenes that were screened in near-silence. Michael Coone shows a flair for black comedy in places with his script, and each character has their own secretive mysterious edge that makes them uniquely interesting. The shocks are screened without any build up or warning, so predictability is never an issue and you'll rarely know what's waiting around the corner, or exactly who will be next to die. At various points in the runtime I was awestruck by some of the flashes of genius on display, everything from the use of light and sound was top-drawer professionalism. If I hadn't have learned the truth from the production notes, I would've bet my life that this was shot on location. You'd never in a million years guess that we were watching a soundstage, and the constant barrage of rain was tremendously authentic.
The whodunit aspect was smart and beguiling, all the way up to the final when it falls into an inconsequent twist that's more nonsensical than intelligent. Mangold should have stuck with the 'Last Stop'-type storyline and completely dispersed the use of uncle fester's b**stard offspring as a conclusion. The method taken by Coone is one of the most predominantly used in serial killer flicks and although it's an authentic take-on a tired formula, it's far too obstinate to gather the recognition that it sets out to acclaim. I'd like to see a 'director's cut' that removed the scenes that I've mentioned and just played things by the overused, but still welcoming premise. After the twist, I was left feeling a little let down that the movie was not as clever as it was built up to be. However, I must confess that a small part of me recognised the ingenuity and I was in two minds after the outcome. I guess some viewers will be impressed whilst others will end up truly disappointed, which would probably explain critic's split decisions.
Although there is niggles to be found in places, I recommend Identity as a strong thriller with some great moments, all the same. It's a slasher movie with a brain instead of gallons of blood, and a cast that a maniac would kill for. After Narc and this, lets hope Ray Liotta's next performance wins the Oscar that he's deserved since Goodfellas, just as long as we don't have to suffer any more turbulence! Most definitely worth a rental, if not a full-on purchase! Give it a go.