Liam Neeson stars as Dr. Martin Harris in director Jaume Collet-Serra’s high-octane action thriller “Unknown”. Martin Harris and his wife (January Jones) have just arrived in Berlin for a biotech conference and upon departing the airport Dr. Harris accidentally leaves his briefcase behind at the airport. However, it is not until he arrives at the hotel that he comes to this realization. Rather than tell his wife, who is left behind checking into their hotel room, Dr. Harris hastily decides to get into a cab and retrieve the briefcase. Little does he know, but chaos is about to rear its ugly head. The cab that Dr. Harris is in swerves off the road and crashes
into an icy river. However, thanks to a herculean effort by his Bosnian cab driver (Diane Kruger), an unconscious Martin Harris is rescued and salvaged from meeting a grim fate. Unfortunately Martin Harris’ troubles are only beginning. After
awaking from a 4-day coma he finds that no one knows who he is, not even his wife and so the mystery ensues to find out what exactly has happened to his identity and why on earth another man is claiming to be Martin Harris and married to his wife.
Jaume Collet-Serra’s “Unknown” has a very strong premise that unravels quickly. For the first half of the movie there is a lot to like. There is a taut thriller atmosphere with good action sequences but it isn’t long before the absurd sets in, and you’re just left wondering where did things go so wrong. This film has been hyped on the foundation that this is a suspense thriller with a big twist. However,
the 180 that takes place in this film is nothing more than a tacky
gimmick that just adds on to the ludicrousness. For the first part of the film Collet-Serra does a great job of telling the story from
Marvin Harris’ point of view and only letting us know what he knows. We are kept in the dark as much as he is, and there is that
old-fashioned mysterious Hitchcock-like feel, that really absorbs the audience. Regrettably the story becomes way too commonplace and that mystifying ambiance disintegrates quickly. Once the plot twist reveals itself, it’s officially time to shut your brain off and realize that the movie has become just another generic action flick with little regard for details. That’s what separates an Alfred Hitchcock from a Jaume Collet-Serra, the ability to have every moment of the film have some sort of significance and for the viewer to put on their detective caps and feel like they are solving the mystery along with the protagonist.
“I suppose if I had suggested Liam Neeson Day, you’d all be patting me on the back,” - George Costanza 1994. When you’re being mentioned on Seinfeld, and there is a talk of having a promotional event at Yankee Stadium named after you, you know you’re a big deal. However this is 2011 and that big deal status has come and gone for Liam Neeson. Nowadays the hulking, middle-aged, Neeson resembles more of a Robert Barone with better hair and a cooler accent. Yet don’t tell that to the casting directors of “Unknown”, because apparently they still think it’s the 90’s and Neeson is still king. However, “Unknown” shows us that this is not the case. Watching Liam Neeson in “Unknown” was like watching Brett Favre with the Vikings this past season. Both looked like past their prime stars who were just trying to do something that just wasn’t working anymore. Neeson was trying to regain that magic that worked so well for him in “Taken”, but it was not to be found. Instead of being inspired by our “Unknown” protagonist, we couldn’t help but to pity Neeson for trying to play
this superhero, do-it-all man. Neeson’s performance lacks the
captivating suaveness of a Cary Grant and the reassuring poise of a Jimmy Stewart. He tackles this role with a 24/7 sense of urgency that just makes it look to the audience like he’s trying too hard. Aside from Neeson’s subpar performance, January Jones is probably the biggest disappointment that this film has to offer. She has very few
lines and the lines she does have, just aren’t performed very well.
The “Mad Men” star leaves much to be desired and one has to wonder whether she has what it takes to reach leading lady status on the big screen. That being said, a major bright spot in this film was the presence of Frank Langella, who despite being severely underutilized, shines as a cold-hearted no-nonsense enforcer.
All in all this is a pretty run of the mill action movie that hardly
leaves a lasting impression on the viewer and can best be saved for
DVD release in six months.
Brett: 2 Stars
Drew: 2 Stars
