In Unknown, the latest thriller from Jaume Collet-Serra, there's a scene in which Liam Neeson, playing Dr. Martin Harris, discovers some shocking information about his identity. The moment, which implies some kind of existential subtext, evokes the finale of last year's Shutter Island, when Leonardo DiCaprio's Teddy Daniels realizes that he's not the man he thought he was. But whereas Scorsese used the twist to reveal profundities of the human condition, Collet-Serra employs the element to merely surprise us, only brushing the surface of the complex issues proposed. This missed opportunity sums up the film as a whole. Though at times seemingly redeemable because of Neeson and his chemistry with Diane Kruger, Unknown plays out as a series of fascinating concepts and crises that are never realized or moored by a sense of urgency.

The story, based on the novel Out of My Head by Didier van Cauwelaert, centers on Neeson's Harris, whom we meet flying to address a global summit on biotechnology. Upon arriving in snowy Berlin alongside his Barbie doll wife, played ineffectively by Mad Men's January Jones, he soon finds his life turned upside down. A terrible car crash leaves him in a coma for four days. When he awakes, he discovers that his life has been taken away from him. His wife doesn't recognize him, and another man has assumed his identity. With no help from the local authorities and two assassins suddenly chasing him, Harris goes on the run, looking to uncover the truth.

Liam Neeson as Dr. Martin Harris

Liam Neeson as Dr. Martin Harris

While trying to stay alive and pacing the streets for answers, Harris finds an unlikely partner in Gina (Kruger), an illegal immigrant and the taxi driver who saved his life in the wreck. Their relationship gives the film a sudden, and much needed, change of pace. In early scenes where Neeson and Jones are shown together, there's something missing from their romance. It feels flat and contrived, partly because Jones never creates a convincing persona. She fulfills the looks of a Hitchcockian blonde but not the intrigue and personality. Despite being platonic, the chemistry between Neeson and Kruger, however, gives the story a sudden spark and achieves everything that other relationship doesn't. Together, the two are completely believable, making a lively, effective duo.

Aidan Quinn as Martin B

Aidan Quinn as Martin B

Eventually, though, as they become bent on unlocking the mystery, the film begins to grow preposterous and tired. Harris starts to unravel more and more of the conspiracy that surrounds him, and in terms of action, there's more going on, like a visually riveting car chase down the city's busy streets. But all the twists and turns lack a certain energy that keeps you caring. Sequences that should by all means be suspenseful fail to provoke any kind of emotion from the viewer. There's, moreover, no imaginary clock ticking in the background or a feeling in which Harris' dilemma feels like a matter of life or death despite being just that. These kinds of films are supposed to make your gut hurt. Unknown never does.

January Jones as Elizabeth Harris

January Jones as Elizabeth Harris

This missing force also constrains the film's moral and intellectual implications, which are clearly apparent but never explored in depth or made interesting with thrills and paranoia. For that reason, Harris's metaphorical search for his identity winds up feeling shallow if not hollow. That's a shame: there really are some intriguing ideas engrained in the story. Through his circumstances and quest for the truth, Harris ultimately discovers it, and it comes in the form of a conscience. It brings to mind a chapter in Mere Christianity in which Lewis, while discussing charity, suggests that we can alter who we are through modeling or taking on a persona that's not our own. This rings true in Unknown. Unfortunately, it and the other bigger truths that lay at the bottom of the film never really take shape due to Collet-Serra not taking his film seriously enough. Nor does he give the rest of the film the emotional charge, which is a thriller's chief task.

Frank Langella as Rodney Cole

Frank Langella as Rodney Cole

Unlike Shutter Island, which, in spite of different subject matter, sought to explore the same kind of issues dealing with identity, Unknown doesn't in any way accomplish the same level of effectiveness or weightiness. The characters, with the exception of Jones, are believable enough. The story, though a bit predictable and drawn out, works. But there's nothing to connect to. The film doesn't make you feel or care. It doesn't grab you. In other words, Unknown has all the elements of a good thriller except for, well, thrills.

Talk About It

Discussion starters
  1. While searching for his identity, Harris discovers a conscience. What specifically causes him to change? How could this apply to us as Christians as we seek to live godlier lives?
  2. In the finale, when Harris kills the man who allegedly stole his identity, are his actions justified? Because the victim is evil, does that make what Harris does okay? Was killing him necessary?
  3. When is killing okay? When is it wrong? Is there a difference between killing and murder? Does the movie's success hang on these questions?

The Family Corner

For parents to consider

Unknown is rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of violence and action, and brief sexual content. There are several scenes in which people are killed, but blood is minimal. In a few brief flashbacks, the protagonist has sex with his wife in the shower. The camera only shows the characters from the shoulders up. There's a short apartment scene in which Harris and Gina hear the people next door having sex.

Unknown
Our Rating
2 Stars - Fair
Average Rating
 
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Mpaa Rating
PG-13 (for some intense sequences of violence and action, and brief sexual content.)
Directed By
Jaume Collet-Serra
Run Time
1 hour 53 minutes
Cast
Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones
Theatre Release
February 18, 2011 by Warner Bros.
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