Unknown stars Liam Neeson as Dr. Martin Harris, a man who gets amnesia following a car accident. When he returns to his life, he finds things not existing as he remembered them. Liam Neeson carries the movie, having a very likeable and relatable presence as well as being dynamic and believable in the action scenes. Unknown also benefits from a solid supporting cast. January Jones plays his wife and Diane Kruger a mysterious woman who enters his life. The film is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, who directed Orphan. Bruno Ganz is an old spy trying to help Martin figure out what is going on. There is a nice scene between him and Frank Langella, who has a small but very important role to uncovering what is really going on.

This movie is like a cross between The Bourne Identity, Taken & Frantic. There are a few key elements that make this film work so well. First, it doesn’t try to do too much. It has a story and scope that is easy to follow centered around a core set of characters that are relevant to what is going on. Second, and even more importantly, the twists in the story work and they make sense. in fact, after seeing the film to the end, you will have the information to figure out some of the events that ocurred earlier and fit them together like a puzzle. You will see that there were some hints that stood out a little even before the twists were revealed. Unlike some other movies of this type, this one does not cheat.

Other nice touches are the creative cinematography, with great composition and a nice sense of movement. Also there is a great use of interesting locations in Germany, especially Berlin. The energy and pacing keep the film entertaining in both the action scenes as well as the more dialogue driven ones. In conclusion, this is a very easy film to recommend, with a simple, well written story, plot twists that make sense, solid acting, and entertaining presentation and atmosphere.

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