Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. (4/5).
Jaume Collet-Serra's action-thriller Unknown is similar in feel to Pierre Morel's 2008 film, Taken, except with a great deal more mystery thrown in. Liam Neeson stars as Martin Harris, who, after being involved in a freak accident, wakes up from a coma to find that his wife doesn't recognise him and another man is masquerading as him. No one believes his story and strange men in SUVs are trying to kill him. Thus begins the excitement as Harris frantically tries to get to the bottom of it all.
As always, Neeson delivers a stunning performance, portraying with excellent conviction the confusion, the anguish and the anger that Harris feels. Even when the film begins to stray into blockbuster territory, Neeson's characteristically honest style of acting still shines through. Diane Kruger is good as Harris’ de facto sidekick, even though the role doesn't really suit her. The film has an excellent supporting cast and the fact that the actors are unfamiliar only serves to add to the mystique, and German actor Bruno Ganz does an excellent job of injecting some subtle humour into an otherwise humourless film.
The best thing about the film was its sense of pace. From start to finish, the film had me enthralled; there was never a dull moment. The suspense is so mystifying and the action so engaging that I felt really drawn into the film. Collet-Serra does a nice job of achieving this effect through some innovative cinematography, while the score drives the film without being too obtrusive, pushing the tension higher and higher without you even realising it's there.
Unfortunately the film is somewhat lacking with respect to plot. Up to the reveal the plot is flawless, yet after the twist (which, to be honest, I found rather clichéd) the film strays into the territory of the Hollywood blockbuster. The climactic scenes very much resemble a run-of-the-mill American action flick. Thankfully, Neeson's acting remains constant and this pulls the viewer through to the final resolution of the film, which nicely exhibits the character development of the two leads.
Despite the unoriginal climax, the gripping suspense, intense action, creative cinematography and great acting all work together to make Unknown a non-stop thrill ride and the best action-thriller I've seen in a long time.
Unknown
