January Jones has the ability to cloud anyone’s vision, especially Liam Neeson’s. In the action-packed thriller “Unknown,” Liam Neeson plays Dr. Martin Harris, a man whose world goes to shambles during a trip to Berlin. After being in an accident, Neeson’s character finds his way to his wife, Elizabeth (Jones), who doesn’t seem to remember him or their marriage. The movie’s plot is based around Neeson trying to prove his identity and gain his wife back, all while facing gunmen and spies.
The movie, just released last Friday, Feb. 18, is a sure box office winner. With its car chases, street fights, and lingering suspense, it will leave you at the edge of your seat. There are about three major car-racing scenes where Dr. Harris, as well as another character, Gina (Diane Kruger), are running from the “bad guys.”
The plot thickens as Neeson is constantly looking over his shoulder through the bad parts of Berlin, which allows many different possibilities for the ending. Although there is great action from the car scenes and espionage, a few aspects of the movie were a little off.
One mistake occurs when paramedics have to revive Neeson’s character after being in the water. The paramedics used the paddles on Neeson’s soaking wet body, which – as anyone should know – is not medically correct. Also, until the very end, the audience is left completely out of the loop of what is happening.
Jones didn’t play a huge role in the movie besides being the sly, humble wife of Dr. Harris. She plays a minor role that doesn’t have a huge impact until the very end. Kruger’s character stands out in this movie as she plays the lonely cab driver from Bosnia trying to make ends meat to return home. Her range of emotion was what made her shine, since her character had to go through much stress.
Neeson did a solid job of portraying the symptoms of head trauma and trying to unravel the details of his life into one solid story. Dealing with car crashes, needles, hospitals, and people following him would leave anyone insane. None of the roles were Oscar-worthy by any means, but they do leave the audience entertained and attentive.
The ending of the film was its most surprising aspect. The audience did not seem to expect the plot twist and expressed their surprise audibly; what can be said is that “Unknown” doesn’t have the typical love story happy ending as one might expect. This film will keep you at the edge of your seat. It is a definite must-see for the action and twists, which may even be a little too frequent at times.
“Unknown” might leave you with a slight headache after trying to unravel everything thrown at you during the movie. The action and plot twists warrant a rating of three and a half stars on the standard film scale. It won’t disappoint and will definitely leave you hanging until the surprise ending. Go see it with your friends and this movie will definitely bring you out of that winter-blues coma with its suspense and unconventional spy movie feel.
Tori Hall can be reached at [email protected].
