Unknown (2011)

It's one thing to be told not to think too hard about what you're about to see, it's another to be helped enormously in that task by a skilled director employing equally skilled actors. All the principals here are in top notch form and, though I enjoy trying to measure how much license was taken by a screenplay, this film never once made me feel cheated or resentful.

Is it a brilliant film? Probably not, but it's devilishly entertaining. The action scenes here are matched by the quiet drama scenes and that's unusual. I don't really think either sex can really claim it entirely.

The director's done a very good job of creating the right mood and telling the story in such a way that the actors can do their work, unimpeded by unrealistic run ups to their scenes. This movie made me feel as if I've just visited Berlin much more effectively than any other European based movie I can think of and that alone is worth the price of admission.

Fmovies: The researcher Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) and his wife Elizabeth Harris (January Jones) arrive in the airport of Berlin to participate in the Biotechnology Global Summit. When they take a cab to the Hotel Adlen in the Central Berlin, the taxi driver forgets his briefcase in the kart. While Liz is in the check-in, Martin discovers that his briefcase is missing and he immediately takes a cab back to the airport. During the route, there is an accident and the taxi fall off the bridge into the river, but the driver Gina (Diane Kruger) rescues Martin and saves him.

Martin awakes in the hospital after four days in coma and his Dr. Farge (Karl Markovics) advises him to stay in the hospital since he could be deluded due to his trauma on the head. However, Martin forces the doctor to discharge him and he goes to the hotel. Without any document, Martin is hold by the security of the hotel; but he sees Liz in the hall and the chief of security agrees to go with him to meet his wife. However, she tells that she does not know him; further, she presents her husband, Dr. Martin Harris, to them. Martin goes to the police and tells that the other man is an impersonator. But Martin can not prove who he is since he has no documents and it is Thanksgiving in North America and he can not locate his old friend Dr. Rodney Cole (Frank Langella). Without any credibility, Martin is forced to return to the hospital; but when he is attacked by a stranger the kills his Nurse Gretchen Erfurt (Eva Löbau), Martin realizes that he is involved in a huge conspiracy and nobody believes on him.

"Unknown" is another great thriller with Liam Neeson with a surprising plot point. The intriguing story seems to have flaws, but when the mystery is solved, everything has an explanation. Everything works in the thriller: performances, cinematography, music score and specially the twist.

The fifty-nine year-old Liam Neeson is impressively youthful and fits perfectly to the role of a man that loses part of his recollections, and the gorgeous Diane Kruger is excellent as usual. Despite their difference of ages, they are are convincing as a couple. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Desconhecido" ("Unknown")

Anyone who has watched Liam Neeson's movies have grown accustom to a character that is always thrown into absurd situations but can still somehow use wit, power and skills to get himself out. Unknown offers the same formula but it still works. This movie caught my attention from the get go. I enjoy how Liam is believable in these roles and you forget that he's getting up there in age, if anything, he makes it seem like this is what any man his age is capable of. He is awaken from a coma to discover that his identity has been taken by someone else. Worst yet, his wife doesn't seem to recognize him. With the help of the woman that saved his life, in a country that is not his home, Liam seeks about to prove himself. This movie is action packed and keeps you on the edge while you try to figure out what is going on. And I feel the ending does not disappoint. Enjoyable, entertaining, action packed and thrilling!

Unknown fmovies. Multiple people have compared this to Neeson's 2008 release of "Taken." Both have a similar concept; Liam goes on a fast-paced journey to retrieve something special that has been taken from him. This time it is not his daughter; it is his mind. Unlike "Taken," "Unknown" is more of a suspense mystery than an action flick. There are some chases and fight scenes, but that is not the main focus. The movie's plot is focus and it is unique for it is unpredictable. We are confused like Neeson's character and there are times we don't know if he will succeed. There are multiple twists and unlike most mystery thrillers, it took me more than half through the film to figure it all out.

In short, "Unknown" is a fairly decent mystery thriller. Good performances. Good story for a mystery. Good music. Good cinematography—I particularly like the whole gray, dreary atmosphere that reflects the film's location's bleak weather. Good twists. Good suspense— the sound mixers must've had a kick in adding emphasis on sound effects to startle the audience. The one thing I will note is that Liam Neeson is really showing his age. This is not necessarily a bad thing; on the contrary, it helps his character out. It gets tiresome that Hollywood always uses the generic 30-something year old actor with smashing abs who is tossed into a terrible situation. It is nice to see an aging actor play an upper middle-aged man who has perhaps lost his mind while running away from people trying to kill him.

The movie sounds intriguing since from the beginning and keeps its sense of mystery and intrigue till the end: this is a good quality, once reminding Hitchcock's thrillers, with the difference that in "Unknown" the thrilling aspect cannot be separated from the frenzy typical of action movies. The result is an entertaining, involving pic, never losing its strong and quick rhythm and letting the viewer staying attached to the screen till the end. Set in a depressing Berlin covered by snow, always marked by the sad signs of a more or less distant past, a good photography gets to capture the overall gloomy atmosphere of the story and the mystery of a character whose vicissitudes seem as much incomprehensible as much needing some resolution, and an effective final twist as well. Liam Neeson plays skillfully, although not always sufficiently expressive, he gets to convey the sense of void of someone looking for some identity. A stand-out performance is offered by Bruno Ganz and also Diane Kruger supports Neeson quite well. Certainly not a masterpiece, but worth the ticket.

Liam Neeson is turning into quite an action star these days despite his advancing age. After starring in the surprise action hit Taken, Liam tries his hand at another similar movie except with a much fewer body count. Unknown is a crafty little thriller set in international lands and is much better than I expected it to be. I thought this would be almost like a sequel to Taken but what I got was a tense, smartly-written thriller.

This film is about a husband, Dr. Martin Harris and a wife, Liz who travels to Germany because of a press conference. After suffering in an accident, Martin wakes up to find out his whole world is turned upside down when he finds out his wife does not recognize him and an impostor has taken his place. Now, he has to face many challenges if he is to get things back to normal.

Liam Neeson is making a name for himself as an action star. He was pretty good to watch in this movie. The supporting cast led by January Jones, Diane Kruger, and Frank Langella is really good as well.

Overall, this is a tense thriller which is way better than the release date it had would suggest. This movie was slow at times and it reminded me greatly of Harrison Ford's Frantic, but despite some clichés, the cast and some tense moments rose this film above mediocrity. I rate this film 8/10.