A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: Unknown

Date Viewed: 2/19/11

Details:

Liam Neeson

Diane Kruger

January Jones

Aidan Quinn

Bruno Ganz

Frank Langella

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra

Score: +

The Review: Liam Neeson continues his career repositioning as an action hero (at nearly 60), running amok in Europe in this twisted & improbable thriller with superficial similarities to Taken.

Fresh off a flight to Berlin to participate in a biotech conference, American botanist Martin Harris (Neeson) and his wife (Jones) get separated, and he becomes involved in a dramatic car accident. In a coma for a few days, he wakes up to find out he has no identification, no one recognizes him, not even his wife, that someone has taken his place (Quinn) -- and no one seems to have the slightest problem with any of this, other than he himself. His doctor blames the accident trauma for confusion and amnesia. But Harris's insistence on his identity starts to spiral out of control, and events overtake him. His only anchors seem to be the taxi driver (Kruger) in whose cab the accident happened, and an old ex-Stazi spy (Ganz) whom Harris enlists as PI.

Puzzles galore, with several fascinating twists and reveals -- you might say this is one of the few biotech thrillers.

From an otherwise unknown (2005) novel by Didier Van Cauwelaert.

(19-Feb-11)

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