Wrong Identity - In the Skin of a Murderess - DVD

Movie: When Michèle (Tuppence Middleton) awakens in a special clinic in Switzerland with severe injuries after a fire at her Aunt Elinor's (Frances de la Tour) summer home, she is a complete stranger to herself. This is not only because her face has been surgically altered due to severe burns. The young woman also suffers from severe amnesia. Through Julia (Kerry Fox), Elinor's longtime confidante, Michèle learns who she is, that she will soon inherit her recently deceased aunt's fortune, and that her best friend Domenica (Alexandra Roach) died in the fire. In the diaries of Do, with whom she last lived in London, Michèle finds clues that the truth doesn't seem to be quite as simple as she would have Julia believe. And slowly but surely, a puzzle picture is pieced together in her still-confused mind that soon has her doubting that she really is the millionaire heiress Michèle is...

Wrong Identity is the film adaptation of the 1963 novel Trap for Cinderellas by Sébastien Japrisot. Iain Softley (Inkheart, K-Pax) has adapted the story in a very low-key way. His thriller is told at a very leisurely pace, getting by without much action or grueling suspense. This could easily have led to the film becoming boring and the viewer quickly losing interest. But Softley relies on the fact that there's power in calmness - and he's right on the money with that. By only slowly but steadily putting one puzzle piece to the next, he maintains a constant level of tension that doesn't drop even when the solution becomes apparent. That's the case no later than halfway through the running time, but that doesn't mean the film doesn't have a few more surprises to offer.

Wrong Identity thrives on its mysterious atmosphere, its charged imagery, and its compelling lead actresses. Both Tuppence Middleton (Cleanskin) and Alexandra Roach (The Iron Lady) deliver very convincing performances, which also help to get over the dramaturgically somewhat tame moments. Because some scenes could have been tightened up a bit, so that the already not very fast pace of the film isn't slowed down again and again. But as Softley keeps putting his main focus on character development, he seems to lose sight of the story a bit here and there, which inevitably results in some minor lengths.

But overall, a positive overall impression prevails, which is achieved by a bit of Hitchcock flair, engaging images and the good actresses. If you appreciate small thrillers that rely more on atmosphere than pace, you shouldn't miss this well-done novel adaptation. Worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: The technical realization of the thriller is on a good level. The picture is clean and has a very atmospheric color scheme. The image sharpness can convince especially in the bright outdoor scenes, only in the darker moments there are also due to the somewhat exaggerated contrasts slight quality losses. The sound, which comes in a decent Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, is rather subdued for long stretches, as the story is told without much action. However, even in silence, there are always opportunities to make use of the surround channels as well, which is done really convincingly here and there. Good!

Extras: Unfortunately, the DVD has no bonus material to offer.

Conclusion: Wrong Identity is a decent thriller that offers pleasantly exciting entertainment despite some dramaturgical lengths and a certain predictability. The good lead actresses and the atmospheric visuals are extremely helpful in making you forget some of the weaknesses. The staging could have used a little more intensity, especially in the middle part, but overall Wrong Identity can leave a thoroughly positive impression. This also applies to the technical realization of the DVD, only the complete lack of subtitle options or bonus material is a bit negative. Nevertheless: who is looking for solid, quietly told thriller fare, can safely risk a look here

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp