Identity (2003)

 

Every now and then, I find a suspenseful thriller that keeps you interested and leaves you blinking with surprise at the end.

Eleven travellors become trapped at a lonely roadside motel during stormy night.  Soon, one by one, they are murdered by an unknown person.  Is the killer one of them... or something much darker than they'd ever suspect?

"Identity" is one of those films that not only kept me interested throughout the entire thing- but actually made me raise my eyebrows in surprise at the twist.  The story is well written, and paced beautifully.  The characters were unique and interesting- and likeable.

The acting, as far as I'm concerned, as great.  I've always enjoyed John Cusack's performances, and he didn't disappoint as Ed Dakota.  The character had depth- I wanted to learn more about him as a person.  Another great performance was given by Ray Liotta- who's work I also enjoy greatly.  He gives a good, strong performance in the role of Samuel Rhodes- exuding both strength and malice at the same time... just excellent.  I have to mention John Hawkes as Larry Washington as well- I really enjoyed his portrayal of the motel owner.  Even though the character was flawed- and somewhat shady, he was still able to make you like the character and feel that at heart Larry was actually a good person.  The rest of the cast was great too.  They all worked well together in their scenes, and drew you into the story.

While, in some instances, the camera work used a basic sort of layout, it was still quite effective at building the suspense and mood.  There are some great shots too, and the editing really helped the set a good pace for the story.

For me, this film almost echos some of the best of Alfred Hitchcock's work in terms of suspense, mood, characters, and enjoyment.  I'm giving "Identity" a firm place in "The Good"