May 1, 2003 -- “Identity” is a cut above most psychological thrillers. It is well-made, has excellent actors, and the screenplay has a nice twist at the end. The story doesn't make much sense, but it turns out there is a good reason for that.

The very talented John Cusack stars as Ed, a former cop who is driving a movie actress, Caroline Suzanne (played by Rebecca De Mornay of “Never Talk to Strangers”) to Hollywood. Trapped by a flash flood, the two seek refuge in a remote desert roadside motel. A total of 10 strangers trickle in to the motel, a cop named Rhodes (Ray Liotta of “Narc”), transporting a killer named Robert Maine (Jake Busey of “Enemy of the State”), a retired call girl named Paris (Amanda Peet of “Igby Goes Down”), a pair of newlyweds, Ginny and Lou (Clea DuVall of “Ghosts of Mars” and William Lee Scott), and a family involved in a car accident, George York, his wife, Alice and their son, Timothy (John C. McGinley of “Highway,” Leila Kenzle and Bret Loehr), all take shelter at a desolate motel run by a fidgety night manager named Larry (John Hawkes of “The Perfect Storm”). One by one, they are horribly murdered. Everyone is a suspect. Escape, or even communication with the outside world, are impossible. It is sort of like the Roach Motel, guests check in, but the don't live long enough to check out.

The plot, as you can see, is similar to Agatha Christie's classic whodunit, “Ten Little Indians,” but so are lots of movies. This one is different because the killer is hidden in a very ingenious way. Just in case you catch on, there is an extra little twist at the end that should really throw you off. Sure, the screenplay cheats a bit, but it is otherwise so well constructed, you really don't care. This is a very entertaining film with some good “gotcha!” scenes. One of the tricks used by director James Mangold is to use extreme closeups a lot. This enhances the tension in the film. You can't see what's outside the narrow frame of the scene, so you can't see what is lurking out there. It turns out there is a lot of lurking going on. Also adding to the mood of the film is use of many deep shadows in the poorly-lit motel rooms and the constant torrential rains.

The acting is also excellent. Cusack, better known for his roles in romantic comedies, does a great job as the story's main character. Oddly enough, both Cusack (whose last film was the romantic comedy “Serendipity”) and director Mangold (whose last film was the romantic comedy “Kate and Leopold”) are better known for their work in romantic comedies. Both show their versatility here. Also in the cast is another excellent actor, Alfred Molina (“Chocolate” and “Frida”) who plays a doctor. Amanda Peet, who is an underrated actress, is very effective in the role of Paris, the prostitute on her way to retirement on an orange grove in Florida. Ray Liotta, whose career seemed to be derailed in recent years, is back on track with two strong performances, first in "Narc" and now in "Identity." This film rates a B.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in video and/or DVD format, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2003 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.