IDENTITY (2003)

'Identity' contains a major surprise, but it's not unpremeditated. It's not an add-on designed to blind-side an audience. Instead, it is carefully woven into the movie's fabric. It is foreshadowed, and, for the detective in the audience, possible to piece together before its revelation. Rather than spoiling the disclosure, this enhances it. Part of the fun of Identity is looking beyond the obvious and figuring out what is really going on. And, like Dead Again, the movie doesn't wait until the final moments to shock the audience. There's still plenty of story to be told once the truth is in the open, and at least one more twist to be navigated.

Because a flood has submerged all of the "exit routes," a diverse group of strangers finds themselves stranded at an isolated motel. They include: Ed (John Cusack), a former cop who is now working as a limo driver; Caroline Suzanne (Rebecca De Mornay), the fading movie star Ed was driving; Rhodes (Ray Liotta), a corrections officer making a prisoner transfer; Maine (Jake Busey), a convicted killer in shackles; Paris (Amanda Peet), a Las Vegas hooker on her way to Florida to buy an orange grove; newlyweds Ginny (Clea DuVall) and Lou (William Lee Scott); motel manager Larry (John Hawkes); and George (John C. McGinley), an ineffectual man with a mute stepson and a seriously injured wife.

As the rainy night wears on, the murders start. One-by-one, the motel guests are systematically picked off. Ed and Rhodes work feverishly to uncover the killer's identity before no one is left alive. Meanwhile, elsewhere, a psychiatrist (Alfred Molina - better known in the UK probably) is trying to stay the execution of his patient (Pruitt Taylor Vince), a convicted mass murderer who is due to die in less than 24 hours. While there is no doubt that the man committed the crimes for which he was sentenced, the doctor believes that the man is insane, and has devised a plan to demonstrate this to both the judge and the prosecutor.

One of the most clever aspects of 'Identity' is the way in which director James Mangold and screenwriter Michael Cooney enable the two parallel stories to exist separately until they dovetail at the perfect moment. The relationship between these two plot aspects lies at the core of what Identity is trying to do. Early in the movie, Mangold announces that this isn't going to be a traditional horror/thriller endeavor when he uses a series of short, loosely-connected flashbacks to introduce the characters and establish the situation. It's an effective and economical way to get right into the action.

The two leads, John Cusack and Ray Liotta, were cast as much for their reputations as for their acting ability. Mangold uses their on-screen images – Cusack as the self-effacing everyman and Liotta as the heavy – to give viewers a shorthand regarding how we should feel about the characters. Of course, there's no guarantee that this isn't misdirection. The rest of the cast is filled out by character actors, with the exception of Rebecca De Mornay, who is given an opportunity to poke fun at her own image. ("Didn't you used to be a movie star?")

As he has shown in his previous movies, which include Heavy, Copland, and Girl, Interrupted, Mangold prefers character-centered pieces over action-oriented ones. Initially, Identity seems to be a departure – but early impressions can be deceiving. At a short 90 minutes, the film is exactly the right length. It moves briskly, is consistently involving, and offers some unexpected developments. I'm not sure how mainstream audiences will react to 'Identity' – it does not remain true to the formula in which it has its roots, and it may be difficult to decipher for those who do not pay attention. Nevertheless, for anyone who enjoys smart, clever films and does not demand a traditional ending that neatly wraps up everything, 'Identity' is a treat. It's a popcorn movie with flair, style, and intelligence that will have nearly everyone thinking (or talking) about it on the drive home. Great stuff!

About me... Hi, I'm Clint, and I have been asked to do a movie review column for AsiantTS.com, or more specifically the magazine that accompanies it: The Clubhouse. I am a writer based in Asia and Europe, and I have been widely published worldwide. I enjoy watching movies, and have written at length on this genre for many years.