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Identity review
:. Director: James Mangold
:. Starring: John Cusack, Ray Liotta
:. Running Time: 1:59
:. Year: 2003
:. Country: USA
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At first it may look like an average horror movie, and it even feels like other horror movies, but Identity barely skims above the rest as a "must see" rather then a "B-movie rental." Written and directed by James Mangold, (Girl, Interrupted; Kate and Leopold) Identity is a great concept executed with mediocre results.
The film plot is simple enough—ten strangers are conveniently stranded in a motel in the middle of Nevada on a rainy night. One by one, they are killed by a mysterious murderer who is kind enough to leave a key behind counting down the number of each victim. I didn't know whether to take it as an insult, (as if I couldn't keep track of how many people were being killed) or if this was employed by the filmmakers to keep the audience awake during the film. The plot for the first three quarters of the film is trite and overused, and the saving grace of the film is the twist at the end, explaining the connection between all the victims, and why they ended up at that particular place that night—other then what is hinted by the trailer.
John Cusack's character is the convincing one of the bunch as an ex-cop/limo driver who keeps everyone calm and sane throughout most of the film. His character is also the only one that garners the audience's sympathy. Ray Liotta overacts as the always suspicious cop, and Amanda Peet plays a call girl with a heart and a desire to leave her hooking days behind for a new start with her own orange grove. Perhaps the most compelling performance is that of Pruitt Taylor Vince's character Malcom, whom isn't introduced until two-thirds of the way through the movie and is essentially the key to unlocking the entire film.
While James Mangold makes an honorable attempt at making a thriller, he falls short by about a mile. If it weren't for The 6th Sense—like twist at the end of the film, it would be as lifeless as one of its victims. Mangold tries to show the audience he knows what he's doing by having the standard horror movie shots—the killer point of view shot sneaking behind the helpless victim; the girl trapped in the bathroom as the door being pounded down is barely held on by the flimsy lock, etc. The suspense is built up nicely at times, and the music tries to augment that feeling with it's dramatic climax cuing the audience when to be scared.
But in a situation like this, one can't blame the director, for they are just a vessel trying to visually interpret a script. In short—Identity's script is underdeveloped and lacks any substance until the epiphanal ending is revealed and all the puzzle pieces fall into place. Even then, the character of Malcom isn't fully explored, leaving the audience feeling unsatisfied and in some cases, confused. The film, with its conning use of trailers, gives one the impression that the film is one thing, but unmasks itself to reveal another. For this, Identity gets props by pulling a fast one on the audience. But take away that ending and the character of Malcom and all one is left with is a mediocre horror film with a really great cast.
Overall, the film is worth watching for its concept and the way it manipulates the audience, only to turn them and (what they perceived the film to be) on its ear in the end. The only qualm is that the mental aspect of the film is not explored, and more depth and focus could have been put on the character of Malcom. Underneath it all, the film is about one man's fight to overcome his inner demons. Whether it's achieved or not is open for debate. While the audience got to witness the struggle (and perhaps the triumph?) the ending of the film leaves one with a hollow satisfaction and a lot of back-tracking to digest the conclusion.
Sarah Lund
 Movie Reviews since 2012
Reviews since 2012
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