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Identity
Identity (2003 movie)

A movie directed by James Mangold

< read all 8 reviews

Horror/Thriller keeps the blood pumping

  • Nov 3, 2008
  • by
Rating:
+4
The movie begins with a subplot of a killer's interview. Next, on a dark and stormy night, many lives will come together. George York (John C. McGinley - Dr. Cox from Scrubs) along with his wife Alice and stepson Timothy have a blowout. Alice is hit by limo driver Ed (John Cusack) driving movie star Caroline (Rebecca De Mornay). They rush to the closest phone, which is at an out-of-the-way hotel. Joining them for the evening, also trapped by the storm and flooding, is hooker Paris (how appropriate) played by Amanda Peet, and Officer Rhodes (Ray Liotta) transporting a prisoner (Jake Busey - don't Busey's make the best bad guys?), and a young couple whose passtime is arguing.

Rhodes' prisoner escapes, and then people begin to turn up dead. Secrets are revealed, there are arguments, a lot of creeping around in the rain, and nail-biting suspense. But there's more to this movie than just the typical whodunit. Where is the connection between these people? The key to the puzzle is much more complex than you think. The plot twists and twists again in a most satisfying manner. I can't say any more without revealing spoilers.

John Cusack and Ray Liotta give stellar performances, and John C. McGinley is good in everything he does. The film is well photographed and the atmosphere is sufficiently dreary to create the required mood. This is a great movie for a group of friends and a large bowl of buttered popcorn. Keep the lights on. Enjoy!
Identity

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September 23, 2009
Good review of a great movie. Thanks
 
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More Identity (2003 movie) reviews
review by . February 23, 2012
posted in Movie Hype
** out of ****    A dark and stormy night. Many cars stranded in muck. A fatal collision between human flesh and hard metal. All three of these things contribute to the gathering of ten strangers in a single location - a Motel somewhere in Nevada -, an element which is the drive for the rest of the plot to come in James Mangold's "Identity". The story was inspired by an Agatha Christie mystery story - "And Then There Were None" - and indeed there is a mystery at the core. These …
review by . September 23, 2009
I have mentioned before that I love books and movies that keep me guessing.  Nothing is more of a put off to me than figuring out exactly what is going on within the first few chapters of a book or the first few minutes of a move.  That's why I love this movie so much.  Like JACOB'S LADDER, this one had me confused until nearly the very end.  An Indian curse?  Ghosts?  A homocidal maniac?  When the real answer came (and I won't give it away in case …
review by . June 12, 2008
posted in Movie Hype
Pros: cast     Cons: the obivous     The Bottom Line: "I have wrestled with this nightmare,   Now I live inside a dream   I'm going through a crisis,   Losing my identity"   ~ Blaze      It is a bit difficult to discuss this movie without giving away anything. I will admit I had a bit of fun with this one, figuring out who the bad guy/gal was from the onset. I know, from past experience, when they …
review by . December 17, 2003
posted in Movie Hype
From first glance, IDENTITY really doesn't seem that great. However, as one begins watching the film, you are swept up into the movie's engaging plot. As a thriller, it's great and as a thriller with a twist it's one of the most original to come around in a long time. IDENTITY revolves around 10 people who all become stranded at the same creepy motel on a dark and story night. Somehow contected to all of this is the hearing concerning a bald-headed mass murderer. This hearing doesn't come into play …
review by . October 10, 2003
posted in Movie Hype
Pros: good cast, entertaining, John Hawkes is fantastic, interesting premise     Cons: could have been done a little better, distracting cinematography, some continuity flaws     The Bottom Line: A great idea, yet a mediocre film. Good cast, interesting script, but they got too cocky. See if you can figure it out yourself.     That's right, yet another film fest at my house. This time, Mechelle and I rented Identity, starring John Cusak, …
review by . October 10, 2003
Pros: good cast, entertaining, John Hawkes is fantastic, interesting premise     Cons: could have been done a little better, distracting cinematography, some continuity flaws     The Bottom Line: A great idea, yet a mediocre film. Good cast, interesting script, but they got too cocky. See if you can figure it out yourself.     That's right, yet another film fest at my house. This time, Mechelle and I rented Identity, starring John Cusak, …
review by . September 18, 2003
posted in Movie Hype
This movie, starring John Cussack, takes place mostly within the mind of a character who is an accused killer. This is not evident in the film until there is a switch in scene to the criminal defendant and his legal and psychiatric team. This makes the film intriguing, and sets the stage for the search for the true killer within the personality "alters" of the main drama. This leads to a surprise ending, which may not be too surprising to those familiar with real life multiple personality and dissociative …
see all Identity (2003 movie) reviews (8)
About the reviewer

Ranked #30
I want to thank Everyone for welcoming me back! :) I'm here to stay folks, my sabbatical on writing reviews is over and I'll continue to review for Lunch. It's great to be back, too! Thanks again for … more
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About this movie

Wiki

Starring John Cusack, Ray Liotta, John C. McGinley, Rebecca De Mornay
Directed by James Mangold
Writer: Michael Cooney
2003

With an ace up its sleeve,Identitydoes for schizophrenia whatThe Silence of the Lambsdid for fava beans and a nice chianti. On the proverbial dark and stormy night, this anxiety-laced thriller offers a tasty blend ofAnd Then There Were NoneandPsycho, with a dash ofSybilfor extra spice and psychosis. Things go from bad to worse when 10 unrelated travelers converge at an isolated motel and proceed to die, one by one, with no apparent connection... until they discover the common detail that's drawn them into this nightmare of relentless trauma. Even as it flunks Abnormal Psychology 101, Michael Cooney's screenplay offers meaty material for a superior ensemble cast including John Cusack and Rebecca DeMornay (who wins the Janet Leigh prize in a bitchy comeback role). Director James Mangold pivots the action around one character (played by hisHeavystar, Pruitt Taylor Vince, in eye-twitching cuckoo mode), and half the fun ofIdentitycomes from deciphering who's who, what's what, and who'll be the next to die.--Jeff Shannon
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Tags

Movies, Action Movies, Horror Movies, Thriller Movies
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Details

Director: James Mangold
Genre: Action, Adventure
Release Date: April 25, 2003
MPAA Rating: R
Screen Writer: James Mangold, Michael Cooney
DVD Release Date: September 2, 2003
Runtime: 1hr 30min
Studio: Columbia Pictures, Columbia Tristar, Sony Pictures
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First to Review

"Dark Thriller Of Dissociation Is Riveting To The End"
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