"Identity"
It is a dark and stormy night as ten disparate people converge on an
isolated, nearly abandoned motel as torrential rain and rising
floodwaters trap them all without phone or radio contact to the outside
world. When, one by one, the group of adventurers is being murdered by
some evil that has descended upon them, it is up to the survivors to
find and stop the killer in "Identity."
This slick production under the helm of James Mangold is Agatha
Christies "Ten Little Indians" mixed with Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho."
When a troubled family, the Yorks, pull off the road because of car
problems, a terrible accident occurs as the mother mistakenly steps into
the road and onto the hood of a speeding limo being driven by Ed (John
Cusack). He was trying to get his passenger, a moody, nasty prima Dona
actress (Rebecca DeMornay) to her destination. Now, he is stuck with
her, the badly battered woman, her husband (John C. McGinely) and their
sensitive son Timmy (Bret Loehr).
As this group descends upon the Motel, run by Larry (John Hawkes), a
sleazy little guy, others are also forced to seek shelter there. Officer
Rhodes (Ray Liota) is transporting a convict (Gary Busey). Ex-call girl
Paris (Amanda Peet), is trying to get to Florida to change her life. A
pair of unhappy newly weds (Clea Duvall and William Lee Scott) is trying
to get home after their shotgun Vegas wedding. One by one they start to
fall victim to an unseen killer in their midst.
The original screenplay by Michael Cooney is derivative but has a lot of
energy as inventive ways are found to keep the body count climbing.
There are all the requisite twists and turns as one suspect after
another are trotted out for the viewer to examine. (I did note, early in
the film, who the killer is but there are enough maggufins along the way
to make you change your mind several times.
The actors are not given much to do except, for most, to be fodder for
the murderer, whoever it is. Cusak, as Ed, is the everyman character
that anchors the story with his repeated proclamations that he used to
be a cop as they try to find the killer. Ray Liota as corrections
officer Rhodes is obviously hiding something as he transports his
prisoner, Busey. The troubled York family is having problems and their
kid is sinister. Amanda Peet, an ex-call girl, is leaving one life and
hopes to make a better on growing oranges in Florida. Clea Duvall and
William Lee Scott form a pair of obviously unhappy people. Rebecca
DeMornay as the bitchy actress Caroline Suzanne is so selfish you root
for her to be one of the first to get it. John Hawkes is shifty and up
to something (we know) as Larry the Motel guy.
Tech values are up there with production designer Mark Fieldberg
creating an eerie world in the Motel. The locale and the omnipresent and
oppressive rain are almost characters in the play. The dark, moody
photography by Phedon Papamichael is punctuated, usually at the
appropriate, scary time, with flashes of lightning and the roll of
thunder. James Mangold ties it all together efficiently and with style.
There is nothing new to "Identity" but it works as a "10 Little Indians"
clone. I give it a B-.
For more Reeling reviews visit www.reelingreviews.com
Robin@reelingreviews.com
laura@reelingreviews.com
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X-RAMR-ID: 34813
X-Language: en
X-RT-ReviewID: 1137390
X-RT-TitleID: 1121977
X-RT-SourceID: 386
X-RT-AuthorID: 1488
X-RT-RatingText: B-
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