Title: Unknown
Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra
Starring: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger and January Jones
While Dark Castle Entertainment, the studio behind the new Liam Neeson thriller ‘Unknown,’ was busy promoting the action film, the actor’s fans undoubtedly questioned if the movie would be reminiscent of his 2009 sleeper hit ‘Taken.’ Both films are focused on Neeson’s character, an American, who travels to Europe and puts himself through physical danger to put his life back together. While the plotline for ‘Unknown’ unfortunately doesn’t stay entirely true to ‘Taken’s format, Neeson still proves that as an older actor, he can still equally balance action while developing a sophisticated character.
‘Unknown’ follows Dr. Martin Harris (played by Neeson) as he arrives in Berlin with his wife, Elizabeth (portrayed by January Jones). After they reach their hotel, Martin realizes he left one of his briefcases at the airport, and quickly hails a taxi to go back to retrieve it. But his cab driver, Gina (played by Diane Kruger), gets into an accident along the way, sending Martin to the hospital in a coma.
After he wakes up from the coma, Martin goes back to the hotel to find his wife, as he’s worried that she’s been in a strange city by herself for several days. When he does find Elizabeth, she denies knowing him, and insists that another man (portrayed by Aiden Quinn) is really her husband. Determined to prove who he really is to police and the world, Martin will stop at nothing to get his life back.
Neeson definitely seemed to connect with Martin, as he was convincingly able to portray his pain and confusion. The audience will definitely question Martin’s sanity as he talks to his doctor in the hospital and the security guards at the hotel; despite seemingly knowing almost everything about his life with Elizabeth, he doesn’t have any physical proof that he is indeed who he says he is. What makes his situation worse is that everyone in his past denies knowing him. Neeson’s accurate depiction of a man wandering unfamiliar streets, hoping someone will be willing to help him, will surely make the audience question what they would do if they were in his place.
But even as ‘Unknown’s storyline truly begins developing, Neeson’s acting ability can’t even save the plotline. Director Jaume Collet-Serra spent too much time following Martin around, trying to figure out what happened to him. While the audience will be intrigued while they question how Martin got into his present situation, in order to make him a truly relateable and believable protagonist, Collet-Serra should have at least hinted at what was really going on to Martin sooner. The most successful cinematic heroes know how to react to any circumstance thrown their way, but viewers unfortunately aren’t given the opportunity to see how Martin fully adapts to the information about why his life is turned upside down.
Neeson’s uncanny ability to adapt to his character also couldn’t make up for his lack of chemistry with Kruger. While she rightfully deserves the credit and fame she received for her roles in the ‘National Treasure’ series and in ‘Inglorious Basterds,’ she seemed miscast as an illegal immigrant living in Germany. Kruger didn’t seem to embody the emotional pain required for Gina’s backstory; she fled to Germany after her family died in Albania, and would do anything to stay out of trouble to make a better life for herself in her new country. While Kruger genuinely made Gina seem as though she eventually wanted to help Martin, Kruger doesn’t possess the intense action needed for such a serious role.
With the release of ‘Unknown,’ Neeson seemed as though he was vying to become a serious actor in the action genre, following the surprise success of his previous hit ‘Taken.’ While the plotline for ‘Unknown’ ultimately isn’t as intense as ‘Taken,’ Neeson definitely still took his role seriously, and refused to let the stunts be the sole voice for the film. If he continues to release such compelling performances in the future, Neeson will definitely prove that younger actors aren’t the only ones who can successfully carry an action film.
Written by: Karen Benardello
