Where's Liam?

Rating: 7/10 (27 July 2013)

'Unknown' is a solid espionage thriller with a very good cast and excellent locations in Berlin, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, and preceded by the Spaniard's third film 'Orphan'. Liam is a rock (not The Rock) in the lead, now thoroughly established as a main man in the action movie business, and he has excellent support from Frank Langella, Diane Kruger and January Jones, but it is Bruno Ganz who steals the show in terms of acting chops as a former Stasi officer, indeed the short scene that he shares with Langella is the film's most tense and poignant, superb acting. There's something of the feel of Roman Polanski's 'Frantic' in the perilous pursuit through a European capital, although this is a grittier affair and probably the better for it. Not to be confused with 'Taken' which is a completely different animal.