Unknown falls into a very strange category of films, not least because it is decidedly difficult to recommend. By the time the credits roll, I found it to be better-than-average as far as overall entertainment value, and I'm a Liam Neeson fan, but up until somewhere slightly beyond the half-way point, I had a desperate urge to fast-forward, or leave.
It's a vehicle of curious frustration, and I'm inclined to suspect that it is because the story is better suited to an episode of The Twilight Zone (or similar) than feature film. As fans of quickfire story houses (like Twilight Zone) well know, what puts them in a distinct class of storytelling is that they are all endgame. We lead into the clever trick of the story, and then we get a nice "Aha," moment, and that's pretty much the genre.
Unknown is such a "gag," and while not alone as a feature film effort toward such a gag (think M. Night Shyamalan), it is one that comes over as slightly confused about whether or not it is somehow straight thriller, or throwing out a shtick, and if you don't know what you're doing, how can I?
Our story kicks off with Dr. Martin Harrison (Liam Neeson) on his way to Berlin for a global conference on biotech (or whatever). His wife (January Jones) is along for the ride, and we watch the pair make their way through customs, throw about clever bio-techy banter, and make their way to their hotel. Unfortunately, Martin leaves his briefcase at the airport, and heads for another taxi, leaving his wife to check in.
Naturally, his taxi is involved in an accident which sends Martin into the river with a nasty blow to the head. He's saved by the taxi driver (Diane Kruger), but slips into a coma, and doesn't wake for four days. His memory is shaky, and all his identification was in the briefcase. He remembers his name, his wife, and a good deal of the general information about his life, but it takes him a while to figure out that he was supposed to be at a conference, and what hotel he was about the stay in. When he gets there, his wife denies having any idea who he is, Aidan Quinn is using his name, and the surreal nightmare is on.
Now, Martin has very few options, given that he has no ID at all, and he stumbles onto an aging P.I., who offers to help him prove he is who he says. That only gets him so far though, and he tracks down the taxi driver who saved him in the hopes that she has some information. As events unfold, and Martin tries to figure out why anyone would want to take over his life, it looks as though this may be a grand scheme to assassinate someone, and convincing the right people that there is a fake Dr. Martin Harrison in play may be the only way to prevent it.
Once the film really breaks into a run, it carries you along well. What comes together best is that it doesn't matter if you figure out the final "kicker," because the film works without really needing to surprise you. The mystery and machinations unfold with force, and you're able to let it take you for the ride. The problem is before you get to that point. Imagine having to add an hour to the front of an episode of The Twilight Zone, and still spin a good play out of the thing. Sure, if you make it over the crest of the hill it's a good ride, but who wants to clickety-clack their way up the roller-coaster that long?
But, as I said, once it gets moving, it's a fun and entertaining film. Neeson gives his standard performance, and the movie owes much to not only Diane Kruger, but to Bruno Ganz (as the aging, German P.I.) as well. The support is worked to perfection here, and is ultimately the standout feature of the film.
For those who really gravitate toward the genre, this one will eventually win out for you, and you'll be glad you stuck it out, but for those generally on the fence, I wouldn't be surprised to hear that you didn't make it to the good stuff.
Rating: 
The Blu-Ray Release-
The home video release is as curious an affair as the film itself. The Blu-Ray comes with two bonuses, both of which run something around five minutes. Liam Neeson: Known Action Hero is a very quick featurette that is part behind-the-scenes effort, and part look at Neeson and how he fits into the action role. A good part of the time is actually just very short soundbites of those who worked on the film talking up Neeson.
Unknown: What is Known is another very short featurette that gives you some behind-the-scenes and general showcase of the film, and really falls into the category of knocked together bonus.
Neither of these amount to much, and no one is going to come away feeling like they got much bonus for their purchase.
The real kicker is that, despite these featurettes only running five minutes a piece, the standard DVD release still has the nerve to only give you one of them.
The Blu-Ray does look rather good though, although I wouldn't put this one up there on the list of best examples of the magic of Blu-Ray. A few of the darker and/or faster scenes didn't look that great to me, but the truth is I'm not sure where the blame for that ought to actually fall. Other scenes, especially the more panoramic views of Berlin, including the closing on the train station, looked very crisp, and showed off the sharpness and color abilities of Blu-Ray nicely.
This one is hard to give a final verdict, because it is really all up to the movie, and it is definitely not going to deliver for everyone. The Blu-Ray release is disappointing, and for those who took to the movie in theaters, it is a mind-bogglingly minimal effort for the release.
DVD ELEMENTS
“Unknown” Blu-ray Combo Pack contains the following special features:
• Liam Neeson: Known Action Hero
• “Unknown”: What Is Known?
“Unknown” Standard Definition DVD contains the following special features:
• “Unknown”: What Is Known?
What if you knew, deep down, who you really were, but couldn't prove it? And what if someone else—someone you didn't know—claimed to be you, and everyone believed him?
Starring Oscar® nominee Liam Neeson (“Schindler's List”), “Unknown” follows Dr. Martin Harrison who awakens from a coma in Berlin to discover that his wife doesn't recognize him and another man has assumed his identity. Alone in a foreign country, Martin races to solve a grand mystery, all the while eluding authorities, assassins and questioning his own sanity.
“Unknown” is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra ("Orphan") and stars Oscar® nominee Liam Neeson ("Schindler's List"), Diane Kruger ("Inglorious Basterds"), January Jones (TV's "Mad Men") and Aidan Quinn (TV's "The Book of Daniel"), with Bruno Ganz ("The Reader") and Oscar® nominee Frank Langella ("Frost/Nixon").
Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) awakens after a car accident in Berlin to discover that his wife (January Jones) suddenly doesn't recognize him and another man (Aidan Quinn) has assumed his identity. Ignored by disbelieving authorities and hunted by assassins, he finds himself alone, tired, and on the run.
On his own in a strange country, Martin seeks aid from an unlikely and reluctant source (Diane Kruger) as he plunges headlong into a deadly mystery that will force him to question his sanity, his identity, and just how far he's willing to go to uncover the truth.
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© 2011, Are You Screening?. All rights reserved. Reprinting without express permission of the author is prohibited.
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About Marc Eastman
Marc Eastman is the owner and operator of Are You Screening? and has been writing film reviews for over a decade, and several branches of the internet's film review world have seen his name. His reviews have brought him personal praise from the director of a major motion picture, and have been used as required reading in a course at a major University. These priceless rewards, along with just bags of cash, keep him from straying from freelance writing. He is also a member of The Broadcast Film Critics Association and The Broadcast Television Journalists Association.
