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(3:10 To Yuma, Cop Land, Girl Interrupted, Heavy, Identity, Kate & Leopold, Walk the Line)
Producer:
Cathy Konrad
Screenplay:
Michael Cooney
Music:
Alan Silvestri
Cast:
Ed: John Cusack
Officer Rhodes: Ray Liotta
Paris: Amanda Peet
Larry: John Hawkes
Dr Malick: Alfred Molina
Ginny: Clea DuVall
George York: John C McGinley
Lou: William Lee Scott
Robert Maine: Jake Busey
Malcolm Rivers: Pruitt Taylor Vince
Caroline Suzanne: Rebecca DeMornay
Alice York: Leila Kenzie
Timmy York: Bret Loehr
Identity
has a classy 'broken' start to the movie as it shows the principal characters
being brought together from a number of different angles, with an early car
accident bringing them together at a run-down motel in Nevada. It was a dark
and stormy night... (did Snoopy write this?)
This is the kind of film's that's difficult to review without giving anything
away because it's the genre that sees people die one by one, quickly and without
warning, rather like
Final Destination,
and with similar style and panache... for the first 65 of its brief 86-minute
running time, with the only thing connecting each one is that the next dead
person is found in possession of a motel room key starting at 10 and counting
down. After this point it goes way too weird, starts to claw it back
but then cops out big-time right in the final gasps before the closing credits
roll, throwing away everything you've watched by that point.
That's not to say there isn't plenty to enjoy, given fine performances from
John Cusack as limo driver to has-been actress Caroline Suzanne (Rebecca
DeMornay) and Ray Liotta as Officer Rhodes, transporting prisoner
Robert Maine (Jake Busey) to an unspecified destination, but no-one's
going anywhere given that the nearby roads have collapsed and the torrential
rain has put a stop to any further travelling before dawn, which is kind of a
bind because there's one person in urgent need of medical treatment... before
the murders begin and during which you'll be trying to guess who's committing
them.
They mean business.
Elsewhere, a hearing is taking place overnight for Malcolm Rivers (Pruitt
Taylor Vince), a man, who's not all there, convicted of several homicides,
but some new evidence - which isn't properly explained, thus not helping in
the situation - brings his psychiatrist Dr Malick (Alfred Molina) to the
conclusion that the local loony bin may be a better place for him than death
row.
This is a film that fans of the aforementioned disaster flick series should
rent, but be prepared for disappointment after a cracking first hour. Reliable
support comes from John C McGinley, most recently famed as Dr Cox in
the superb US comedy Scrubs, and John Hawkes as motel owner
Larry. Those familiar with From Dusk Till Dawn will remember Hawkes as
the petrol station owner in the film's pre-credits scene. Sadly, Amanda Peet
proves she still can't act, and here plays a prostitute.
Witnessing a murder too far.
Director James Mangold makes brilliant use of the dark scenes and the
full 2.35:1 widescreen frame. Given that it's shot in anamorphic Panavision,
any cropping to 4:3, or even 16:9 will rob the movie of the majority which is
worth seeing, thus killing the atmosphere.
No problems at all with the picture or sound, the latter of which is in Dolby
Digital 5.1 and sees the thunder lashing down at every available opportunity,
although there's not a massive amount else of note to the effects.
The extras are as follows:
Starz On The Set (14½ mins):
Presented in 4:3 with 16:9-letterbox clips, this is the kind of dull extra
you wish they no longer bothered with - talking heads giving a few lines to
the camera about how wonderful the movie is, mixed in with clips. Pass.
Deleted Scenes (6 mins):
Four, each with optional director's commentary, and with something I've not
seen before - the picture goes black and white just before and after any
unseen material, so we can see in colour precisely what's contained in the
deleted scene. None of them particularly add much to the film, and when you
see the fourth one you realise those extra few seconds are what make up the
"extended version", which is the choice you make at the start.
Storyboard comparisons (4½ mins):
Three of them, featuring the death of two characters and the back-story
to another, but obviously I won't give any of the details here.
Trailers (6 mins):
One for this movie, plus another each for other Columbia titles,
the dire coupling of
Thir13en Ghosts and
Darkness Falls,
plus the excellent-but-is-a-few-years-old-and-has-been-on-Five-already
Hollow Man.
All trailers are in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen.
Cast and crew filmographies:
the last resort in terms of "extras".
Audio commentaries:
Two here. One from director James Mangold, and the other from writer Michael
Cooney.
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Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
