An example of how films should be

Rating: 8/10 (26 December 2005)

Identity is a very unique film that impressed me very much when I first saw it and every time I've seen it since. The story is fascinating as it is so full of suspense and it really gets your adrenal glands in overdrive. After this immense build up, the film shatters the audience's sense of reality with an incredibly clever and unpredictable twist that must surely be on a par with Memento. This is an excellent example of what is meant by on screen magic and in retrospect; it's very surprising that this film is not even more famous.
What helps to unfold the plot so magnificently is the characters. Almost every character involved has a crucial part to play and it seems that every actor was casted perfectly for their roles, most notably John Cusack and Ray Liotta. Cusack's character is probably the most demanding as he is the only character who discovers the twist except for the audience and Cusack's total shock is very convincing as it was a almost a mirror image to my reaction. One of the more enjoyable roles was Jake Busey's role as the convicted killer. Busey has definitely been typecast with more psychotic roles but in Identity, he shows us that's not such a bad thing. Amanda Peet is definitely worth a mention and is most responsible for garnering the audience's emotions. One of the best and most effective ensembles there's been in years.
The direction is outstanding. The audience is manipulated to wherever James Mangold wishes and I can speak from experience; it's one hell of a journey. Mangold shows Identity as a Jigsaw puzzle where every character has their journey to the hotel explained throughout the film via flashbacks and the mainly off screen violence ensures that everything is kept a mystery until the last minute. The constant recital of a poem throughout the film provides added mystery and atmosphere, making Identity very intense. The fact that almost the whole film is set in this one hotel gives a very claustrophobic feel which is always effective in a Thriller. Mangold definitely read the 'How to Make a Good Thriller' Manual when making this film! With all the ingredients of a good film firmly in place and a very clever plot, Identity proves a very memorable film that is definitely at the height of the genre and will hopefully have a longer shelf life than all the recent blockbusters.