Identity

The new film Identity takes the conventional horror/thriller genre and gives it a rather unconventional spin. While Ill admit that the twist may well be a turnoff to some moviegoers, I was able to accept it largely due to a competent cast that presents the material in a very watchable manner. Identity tells the tale of 10 total strangers who are all stranded in a desert-side motel one stormy evening. The group is a very diverse bunch, featuring a ex-cop turned chauffeur (John Cusack), a tough-nosed cop transporting a prisoner (Ray Liotta), a call girl looking to return home to Florida and start over (Amanda Peet) and a spoiled Hollywood starlet (Rebecca De Morney).The group suddenly begins to dwindle as someone (or something) begins to eliminate the group one at a time. And as the group gets closer to finding the culprit, they begin to realize that they have more in common than they first realized. Michael Cooneys screenplay is actually very straightforward and conventional until the final third, when the films plot twist kicks into gear. Its not an easy sell, but I think Cooneys screenplay delivers the surprise in an acceptable manner (Its certainly more acceptable than Cooneys previous work on the straight-to-video Jack Frost and its what-the-world-really-needed sequel).At first glance of his resume, you wouldnt think that James Mangold would be the right director for this film. After all, Girl, Interrupted and Copland are two distinctly different films from Identity. But as I thought more about it, I realized the common bond was a strong ensemble cast, which is prevalent in the previous two films and definitely prevalent in Identity. The film works because the actors are interesting. Cusack can be good in almost any film, even pop culture trash like Con Air, so its no surprise to see him create another interesting character. Liotta may well be typecast as that rugged cop, especially four months removed from Narc, but, like Cusack, he demands your attention whenever he is on the screen. Peet gets a lot more out of her character than you would expect. This may her best performance since she broke out in The Whole Nine Yards three years ago. But the trio is just the beginning of a film with plenty of solid talent. De Morney is barely recognizable as the fading actress, while character actors like John C. McKinley (whose resume includes everything from Platoon to Office Space) and Clea Duvall (13 Conversations About One Thing) continue to prove that they are some of the most underappreciated talents working today. In fact, the entire cast is steady and easy to take, despite the films limitations. It just goes to show that as long an audience has performances it can identify with, even a flawed film can succeed. Sporstwriter/movie reviewer Micheal Compton is frantically searching for whoevers leaving those mysterious Redrum! messages on his voice mail. Got a clue? Or a comment? E-mail him at mcompton@bgdailynews.com.