Unknown Identity

A man in search of his identity. Wild chases through Berlin. A large-scale conspiracy. It all sounds like Jason Bourne is back in action. Far from it: Even if "Unknown Identity" takes up some set pieces from the successful thriller series and also varies elements from other genre representatives like Roman Polanski's "Frantic" in a new way, in the end something new and extremely worth seeing comes out, which can captivate the viewer for almost two hours despite many familiar set pieces.

When Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) travels with his wife Elizabeth (January Jones) to a science congress in Berlin, he has no idea that shortly after his arrival his biggest nightmare begins. When he wakes up from a brief coma after a serious car accident, the world seems to be upside down: his wife doesn't recognize him and another man (Aidan Quinn) claims to be the real Dr. Harris. Martin realizes that something is very wrong here, but that he has by no means gone crazy, when a killer (Stipe Erceg) also follows his heels. Together with the taxi driver Gina (Diane Kruger), who saved his life in the accident, and the ex-Stasi agent Jürgen (Bruno Ganz), he tries not only to stay alive, but also to prove his true identity. In the process, he gets on the trail of a conspiracy that not only threatens his life...

Although the wheel is admittedly not reinvented here and some moments don't really work, in the end "Unknown Identity" offers extremely good thriller entertainment. The setting of Berlin proves to be a very good choice, with Flavio Labiano's excellent camerawork putting the individual locations in the perfect light. Whether it's the taxi accident on the Oberbaumbrücke or a car chase through Friedrichstraße that ends in a spectacular collision with a tram, it's always clear that the location is almost as important to the film's success as the thrilling production itself.

Liam Neeson delivers another convincing performance as an action hero after "96 Hours", carrying the film through its weaker moments. Even if some of the supporting actors pale next to Neeson's strong performance and especially strong actors like Bruno Ganz, Sebastian Koch or Frank Langella don't get enough opportunities to prove their talent, the whole ensemble of the film leaves a satisfying impression in the end. Which brings us to the film's biggest weak point: the ending.

Although the events don't come as a complete surprise and are pulled by the hair, the resolution of the whole thing can't really live up to the high expectations built up by the gripping first 90 minutes. The whole thing reminds a bit too much of other action thrillers of the recent past and also seems a bit too contrived. But this only marginally harms the entertainment factor of the film. "Unknown Identity" with all its flaws is a gripping, nobly staged thriller that is convincingly acted and engagingly filmed and has some really great action sequences to offer along the way. Absolutely recommended

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp