I liked this movie. It isn’t Shakespeare and it’s certainly not Liam’s best work, but it has some dysphoric strangeness at times that will have you questioning how ‘you’ would react in a situation where you couldn’t convince anyone, not even your wife, that you were yourself.
Liam Neeson (Excalibur) leads this action thriller as Dr. Martin Harris a buzzing biotech researcher that’s been invited to Paris to present at a world-wide convention. In a rushed drive to the airport, he falls victim to a car accident and awakens days later with no passport or identification. Convinced his wife is desperately scouring the streets of Paris looking for him, he returns to their hotel only to find that another man has taken his identity and his wife is blatantly oblivious to his existence. Determined, he recruits help from a local day worker Gina and a tenacious private investigator to help him piece his believed life back together.
It’s weird to watch someone go through a deconstruction of their inner beliefs. I know who I am, why doesn’t anyone else believe me? Neeson’s portrayal of Harris is both strong and vulnerable. At times he makes you feel for his familial loss; at others you can see why this now 58 year old is still a viable kick-ass action star. The real key is his voice. It can portray anger, conviction, and determined resolve in such a mellifluous manner. He needs to do more voice overs.
I was very pleased to see a graduated performance from January Jones (Anger Management) as Harris’ wife Elizabeth. Not just a pretty face on display, she showed growth in her ability to act like an actor. Witness the scene where she and Martin meet for the first time after the accident and you’ll be convinced. Playing too small of a part, but very vital to the story was Frank Langella (Brainscan) as a life-long friend of Harris’ who arrives in Paris to help out. Always a delight is Diane Kruger (National Treasure) asGina , a day worker who comes to Harris’ aid. Her acting is never transparent thankfully, but even in this vehicle it’s very difficult not to focus on her striking looks and vibrant accent.
Unknown has a solid opening and a very revealing ending but the 2nd act is where it loses a bit of steam. Still, watching Neeson kick ass while wrecking downtown Paris was just pure fun. This movie won’t hit the magic $100 million mark because of the lull in its center, but it has enough surprise explosions and a cool (but used) plot twist that will keep viewers interested.
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