‘Unknown’ is a fine thriller, but comes with some loose ends

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3 stars out of 5

“Unknown” starring Liam Neeson has some very interesting plot points and gives the audience what it has been excited for since seeing 2006’s “Taken.”

This film, like “Taken,” also has Neeson beating up bad guys in a foreign country while trying to regain a loved one.

The Irish actor is certainly not blazing any trails with this film, but similarities to past work do not mean it is not well crafted. Unlike “Taken,” this film has much more story and far less brutality. If you are looking for fights galore, this is not the place to find them.

“Unknown” does a great job of getting the audience to question whether Dr. Martin Harris (Neeson) really is who he believes he is. Minutes into the film Harris is involved in a car wreck that causes him to go into a coma.

When he awakes, he discovers someone has stolen his identity and his wife. There are some well-played moments where the film achieves some great deception, mostly thanks to a solid performance by Neeson.

One of its biggest flaws is January Jones as Harris’ wife Elizabeth. Jones is stale and unconvincing in almost every scene. At first she comes off as a character trying to hide something, but by the middle of the film it is obvious that she is just going through the motions.

Another problem is a trope common to many action flicks. Characters who have no reason to be able to fight are all apparently trained to kill, and cab-driver-turned-waitress Gina (Diane Kruger) is the biggest offender.

Even though there is never any evidence that Gina is a trained fighter she takes down professional security guards with ease. Between this and the fact that anyone thinks someone who looks like Kruger would ever be stuck driving a cab, the filmmakers prove to make some annoying choices.

These problems are minimized by the charisma Kruger brings to the role. The extra couple earrings and funky braid do not make her any less beautiful, which makes it hard to buy into her character but she does everything she can to pull off a believable performance.

She is very successful in creating someone who the audience can believe would be pulled into a dangerous situation but would be quick to adapt to it.

One of the most entertaining moments in the film is a meeting between Ernst Jurgen (Bruno Ganz) and Rodney Cole (Frank Langella). Jurgen and Cole are both men with pasts and two finer actors could not have been put together for the conversation these two characters have. Both have a brilliant presence and great delivery.

The film is at it’s worst when it makes sloppy decisions to cram in some conventional action fare, but at its best it is the setting for some real gems.