By: debbie lynn elias
Take a cold, dark and stormy night, some flooded roads, one creepy clone of the Bates Motel (you know the place – once you check in, “mother” then checks you out – permanently) ten strangers, add some fright, some scare, some unbelievable coincidences and a little psychological intrigue and you’ve got yourself “Identity” – a film which carefully walks the tightrope between a true psychological thriller and slasher flick to become one nice piece of filmmaking.
As a result of the storm, all major roadways are flooded (not unlike my home when it rains), thus stranding a very diverse group of strangers at a remote, off-the-beaten path motel. And talk about diversity. We’ve got an ex-cop now working as a limo driver, a fading movie star, a corrections officer, a convict, a hooker, some newlyweds, a family consisting of a waste of a man for a father with an injured wife and mute step-son, and of course, our motel manager. Slowly but surely, our guests dwindle in number as they are systematically picked off, one by one, with corpses popping up hither and yon.
Taking the bull by the horns, our limo driver/ex-cop Ed together with corrections officer Rhodes race against time, and apparently the storm (after all, murder and mayhem work so much better against a background of thunder, lightening, howling wind and torrential rain), as they attempt to uncover whodunit before no one is left alive. A parallel involving a psychiatrist attempting to stay the execution of his patient, a convicted mass murder, by proving the man was insane when he committed the crimes, only adds more intrigue and that always spectacular element of “the unknown” to already frightening tale.
A solid, ensemble cast provide an excellent foundation for the storyline, but none moreso than John Cuasck and Ray Liotta. There mere casting of Cusack as Ed and Liotta as Rhodes immediately tells you who’s running the show here and director John Mangold capitalizes on their known personas, with Cusack being the more thoughtful, methodical, grounded and emotionally caring one of the group – liked by one and all – while Liotta provides the more hardened, tense, edginess necessary to his character to provide a seemingly good versus evil balance between Ed and Rhodes. Cusack and Liotta are flawless and they effectively convey the diversity of their characters, drawn together by an apparent common goal, but adding levels of complexity that keep the audience on its toes – and the edge of its seats. The rest of the cast is effective and suited to their characters – Amanda Peet as the trashy hooker, Rebecca DeMornay as the fading movie star and Jake Busey as the shackled prisoner stranded at the motel during transfer are better than average.
Directed by James Mangold, known for his own diversity having directed such films as “Kate & Leopold,” “Copland” and “Girl, Interrupted,” adds another dimension to his considerable talents with “Identity.” Capitalizing on his ability to rely on characters to tell a story as opposed to falling back on action and guns-a-blazing types of work, Mangold artfully (and rapidly) weaves all of the principles in and out of the story, stopping only long enough to allow the audience to savor a detail or pick up a piece of the puzzle. But beware some of those puzzle pieces because just when you think you’ve found where they fit, Mangold unravels the rug, pulling the audience ever deeper into his dark of night as everyone is a suspect and everyone is innocent. Enhancing the character studies are some of the usual tricks and treats we’ve come to expect in a fright flick but, to his credit, Mangold never sells out to the bland and banal.
Screenwriter Michael Cooney, the man responsible for that demonic snowman in “Jack Frost” and “Jack Frost 2,” doesn’t disappoint here as he keeps the two separate and distinct storylines running at full speed, dove-tailing them at the perfect moment; something that could have taken a dastardly downturn in the hands of a less competent writer and less-gifted director. The clues are subtle, the dialogue at times self-deprecating but fun (Rebecca DeMornay is at her best when poking run at herself) and you can sense that each word spoken was carefully chosen so as to achieve maximum effect without sacrificing the integrity of the story or any character. Although the ending could have been perhaps a bit smoother, it nevertheless works in this type of film.
Unexpected, surprising, intelligent, involved and evolving. “Identity” gives a 21st Century identity to the fright-flick.
Ed: John Cusack
Rhodes: Ray Liotta
Paris: Amanda Peet
Caroline: Rebecca DeMornay
Robert Maine: Jake Busey
Doctor: Alfred Molina
Ginny: Clea Du Vall
George York: John C. McGinley
Larry: John Hawkes
Lou William: Lee Scott
Columbia Pictures presents a film directed by James Mangold. Written by Michael Cooney. Running time: 90 minutes. Rated R (for violence and language)
