Movie Review: Unknown – Dive Into the Unknown

Unknown Plot

Dr. Martin Thomas (Liam Neeson) arrives in Berlin with his wife Elizabeth (January Jones) for a Bio Tech summit but before he can check into his hotel he remembers that he forget his briefcase at the airport. He hails a cab and dashes back without telling his wife who’s checking in. Martin’s cab meets with an accident but his life is saved by Gina (Diane Kruger), an illegal immigrant who doubles up as a cab driver. Martin wakes up from coma and is shocked to see that someone else (Aidan Quinn) has taken not only his identity but his entire life and even his wife is convinced that Martin’s an imposter.

Martin would have given up had it not been for an unknown assailant who tries to kill him. He meets a retired East German spy, Jurgen (Bruno Ganz) who helps him retrace his steps. Aided by Gina, Martin meets his wife who discloses that she knows the truth but can’t come out with it for their lives are in danger. On her instructions Martin retrieves his lost briefcase and starts puts together pieces of his life together. But with every step he takes towards establishing his identity Martin is shocked to learn horrible secrets from his past that make it difficult for him to even look in the mirror.

Good Points in Unknown

There are traces of Roman Polanski’s Frantic and John Woo’s Paycheck in Unknown but that doesn’t take anything from Unknown. A very solid thriller, Unknown is well crafted film that gets you hooked on right from the initial stages. Towards the end when things fall into place, irrespective of how you take to revelations in thrillers, you are bound to feel a little letdown but that can be forgiven.

Final Words on Unknown

Based on a book called Out of My Head, by Didier van Cauwelaert, the film has a very intriguing premise thanks to the inversion of a traditional way of looking at a spy thriller. Like Jason Bourne, Martin, too, retraces his steps but instead of finding out who he really is the thrust is often towards who he isn’t. In addition to an engaging plot Unknown becomes better thanks to Liam Neeson who gives Martin a right mix of emotions and an impressive Bruno Ganz as the private detective who misses the olden days.

Unknown Rating: 3 out of 5

Unknown Cast: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones, Aidan Quinn, Frank Langella, and Bruno Ganz

Unknown Screenplay by: Oliver Butcher, Stephen Cornwell bases on Out of My Head, by Didier van Cauwelaert

Unknown Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra