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Identity Nothing is cooler than a night where you scratch your head in confusion and disbelief for an hour and a half just to say “ah… I get it” at the end. Sadly, that doesn’t make a good movie great. But at least it makes it entertaining. Identity is one of those films where you can’t tell too much of the plot to someone without giving it away. Thus, one can’t say much about it in a review. Ten strangers are all stuck in a hotel during a storm and are killed off one by one. When at first it seems obvious who the killer is, plot twists blindside the audience, leaving them staring at the screen in bewilderment. There may be many plot holes in Identity, but you don’t really mind it because it keeps you in suspense. Sure, it’s not one of those “jump out of your seat and scream like a little baby” type of films, but director James Mangold has taken some tips from Hitchcock and Shyamalan. It’s a good psychological thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end. Yet, it many ways, it seems to try too hard. The finale is a shock; that I’ll grant. Even still, to have the whole movie centered around it (which, of course, I won’t give away). almost seems like it wasn’t worth the effort. This is not to say that the film was all bad. The explanation of how all of the characters find themselves at the hotel and how all of them are connected in many ways is quite entertaining. It reminds me of the beginning of Magnolia, where each one of the characters are connected in some loose but interesting fashion. Everyone seems to be playing his or her parts a little bit over the top. Given the plot and everything that surrounds it, that is expected. But John Cusack plays Ed, the ex-cop turned limo driver, perfectly. His character is the only one in the whole film that keeps his cool through the whole situation. In the end, I recommend everyone who likes mysteries, thrillers, and all around good time at the theatres to go see this movie. It’s hip and fun and weird in a good way, but don’t go expecting a Psycho or The Ring. On a side note, I do think it will have some appeal to the people of Polk County, Florida (the area where I am currently living). One of the characters says that he is from there and the whole theatre cheered. Given that the character was the idiot of the group, however, I don’t really know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Adam Duckworth 5/8/2003
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