Identity | AccessAtlanta

Identity

Cusack and Liotta bring the thrills.

FILM FACTS

Starring: John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Jake Busey and Rebecca De Mornay
Director: James Mangold
Rating: R for strong violence and language
Genre: Thriller

Discuss this film | Official movie site

See showtimes (R) 87 minutes

Grade: B

Verdict: Thrilling cheap thrills.

By ELEANOR RINGEL GILLESPIE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

It isn't Colonel Mustard in the library with a candlestick, as it might be in the game Clue. But it could be John Cusack in Room 6 with a knife or Ray Liotta in a deserted diner with a baseball bat.

The new horror-thriller "Identity" comes on like yet another variation on Agatha Christie's famous "And Then There Were None," first filmed in 1945 with Walter Huston and Barry Fitzgerald and remade three times as "Ten Little Indians." That is, on a dark and stormy night, some total strangers take shelter in a creepy old house (here, a creepy old motel) and are murdered one by one, as those still alive try to find the murderer in their midst. But this version is much more twisted than that. Michael Clooney's script is ultimately not much more than a gimmick, but it's unlike anything I've seen in this genre in recent memory -- or, perhaps, ever.

The less you know about "Identity," the better. But this much won't hurt. When a heavy storm washes out roads in both directions, assorted travelers seek shelter in a rundown and remote motel that makes the Bates' place look like a three-star hideaway. First to show up is John C. McGinley, holding his bleeding wife (Leila Kenzie) in his arms and his frightened little boy (Bret Loehr) by the hand. She's been hit by a car, a domino-effect accident cleverly mapped out by director James Mangold. On their heels arrive a washed-up sex symbol (Rebecca De Mornay) and her chauffeur (Cusack). Then come the others: a hooker (Amanda Peet), some unhappy newlyweds (Clea DuVall and William Lee Scott) and a cop (Liotta) and his all-but-drooling prisoner (Jake Busey). We take special notice of the prisoner because, in a parallel story, we've been told about a convicted mass murderer, being escorted by the police, whose doctor (Alfred Molina) is working frantically for a stay of execution.

By the time the first victim's head is found in the dryer and another begs to be let through a locked door (a little tip of the hat to "The Leopard Man"?), it's pretty obvious these folks have stumbled into motel hell.

Everyone seems to have a secret, even the motel. Why does the motel manager (John Hawkes) hide a framed photo in his drawer as soon as guests start arriving? Why would a chauffeur carry a gun? What about those brochures that say the motel was built on an Indian burial ground � la "Poltergeist"?

As the genre clich�s pile up, the film threatens to edge into "Scream" territory. People start going off on their own in the dark, instead of staying together in a well-lighted room. They find inane things to argue about, never mind that a mad killer may be lurking by the Coke machine.

Just how good the last-act surprise is can be judged by the level of talent onscreen. Actors like Cusack, Liotta, McGinley and Molina have lots better ways to spend their time, if they so choose. Hawkes may be less known, but he became a cult favorite after appearing in "The Perfect Storm" and has his own popular Web site. Busey's got family connections (and a startling resemblance to dad Gary). And they've all agreed to act in a constant downpour (Liotta even works without a raincoat).

Mangold himself typically has dabbled in classier stuff -- "Girl, Interrupted" and "Cop Land." But even he couldn't resist this movie's cheap thrills. "Identity" may be a one-trick pony, but it's quite a trick.