Red Riding Hood

CAST: Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Billy Burke, Lukas Haas,Shiloh Fernandez, Michael Shanks, Julie Christie, Virginia Madsen, Max Irons, Darren Shahlavi; DIRECTOR: Catherine Hardwicke; GENRE: Drama; RUNNING TIME: 100 min.

Technical Assessment: 3
Moral Assessment: 2.5
CINEMA Rating: Viewers 14 and above

Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) is in love with the brooding but passionate Peter (Shiloh Fernandez) but her parents want her to marry nice village boy Henry instead to help the family financially. Neither man is bad looking, and Valerie who likes Henry but is more attracted to Peter, agrees to elope with Peter. But their situation gets more complicated when Valerie’s sister is killed by a werewolf that strikes every full moon night. This terrifies the whole village: why would the werewolf kill a human being despite the village’s monthly animal sacrifice to keep the creature satisfied? So they call in famous werewolf hunter Father Solomon (Gary Oldman) who arrives in the village with a retinue of black bodyguards and a huge metal elephant. Soon, during another full moon attack, Valerie discovers she has a connection with the killer wolf but she keeps the discovery a secret. Father Solomon tells the villagers the werewolf takes human form by day, thus it could be one of them. Valerie suspects the werewolf could be someone she loves or who loves her.

Any screen character portrayed by Seyfried seems to automatically elicit sympathy from the audience, thanks to her wide-eyed look that lends her face childlike innocence. The trailer of Red Riding Hood apparently implies evil lurking behind those can’t-do-anything-bad eyes, but the movie would soon belie that sneaking suspicion. Obviously she’s not the werewolf but you nonetheless hang on to find out what ultimately happens. That, dear viewer, shows you how a bias for certain actors gets you hooked on the story despite the presence of some elements you would otherwise consider ridiculous or irrelevant. Here, they are the metal elephant that turns out to be torture chamber for suspected werewolves and witches, and the color of Valerie’s hood which contributes nothing to the story but which makes a great frame against a snow-covered landscape. The title itself makes you wonder, why “red riding hood” when Valerie never rides; doesn’t she only walk to her grandmother’s cottage and run away from the wolf? Some film critics would rip Red Riding Hood apart on account of its bearing vestiges of Twilight—this thing about werewolves, virginal heroines falling for bad boys yet spared from wolf attacks, but whatever, it’s an engaging story from beginning to end.

Of course, it’s a sin to kill a human being. But when a werewolf kills, it is not quite human, so is the act of killing then outside the scope of human morality? Aah, that’s a gray area in red riding hood country! How could CINEMA pass judgment on a werewolf’s trespasses, or is it worth the bother at all? We cannot do that without spoilers, so you might as well see for yourself why we’re giving it a 2.5 score in the moral arena. This teaser might help you, though: Why did the carnivorous werewolf who used to be satisfied by the villagers’ animal sacrifices kill a woman but did not eat her? a) the werewolf was scared away by the woman’s screaming; b) the werewolf was allergic to the fabric of the woman’s dress; c) the werewolf wasn’t hungry. Enjoy the ride.

The Adjustment Bureau

CAST: Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Anthony Mackie, Terence Stamp,John Slattery, Daniel Dae Kim, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Michael Kelly, Liam Ferguson, Anthony Ruivivar; DIRECTOR: George Nolfi; WRITERS: George Nolfi and Philip K. Dick; GENRE: Romance, SciFi/Fantasy; RUNNING TIME: 106 min.


Technical Assessment: 3
Moral Assessment: 2.5
CINEMA rating: For viewers 18 and up

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: If the movie seems a hybrid of Matrix and Sleepless in Seattle, it’s because it strives to deal intelligently and entertainingly about fate, choice, free will, predestination, topics that elsewhere would require doctorate degrees to understand. On the brink of winning a seat in the U.S. Senate, ambitious politician David Norris meets beautiful contemporary ballet dancer Elise Sellas. But just as he realizes he's falling for her, mysterious men conspire to keep the two apart. A metaphysical puzzle for mature minds; it could also be mistaken for a romantic sci-fi.

The Eagle

CAST: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Dakin Matthews; DIRECTOR: Kevin Macdonald; SCREENWRITER: Jeremy Brock; PRODUCER: Duncan Kenworthy; EDITOR: MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Atli Orvarsson; CINEMATOGRAPHER: Anthony Dod Mantle; GENRE: Drama, Action, Adventure; DISTRIBUTOR: Focus Features; LOCATION: Scotland; RUNNING TIME: 114 minutes


Technical Assessment: 3.5
Moral Assessment: 3
CINEMA Rating: Audience Age 14 and above

BRIEF FILM SYNOPSIS: In 2nd-Century Britain, two men - master and slave - venture beyond the edge of the known world on a dangerous and obsessive quest that will push them beyond the boundaries of loyalty and betrayal, friendship and hatred, deceit and heroism. Screenplay adapted Rosemary Sutcliff's classic novel The Eagle of the Ninth.

Senior Year

CAST: Che Ramos, LJ Moreno, RJ Ledesma, Ina Feleo, Arnold Reyes, Dimples Romana, Ramon Bautista, Aaron Balana, Celina Peñaflorida, Rossanne de Boda, Eric Marquez, Sheila Bulanhagui, Francez Bunda, Daniel Medrana, Nikita Conwi, Mary Lojo, Daniel Lumain; SCREENPLAY & DIRECTOR: Jerrold Tarog; LOCATION: Manila; GENRE: Drama
RUNNING TIME:100 minutes

Technical Assessment: 3
Moral Assessment: 4
CINEMA Rating: Audience Age 14 and above

Class Reunion sa hinaharap ng high school batch 2010 ng St. Frederick School. Inaalala ng class valedictorian na si Henry (RJ Ledesma) ang mga nangyari noong huling taon sa high school ng batch niya habang nag-iipon siya ng lakas at dahilan upang tumuloy at magpakita sa reunion. Dito magsisimulang manumbalik ang isang makulay na taon at iba’t-ibang kuwento ng kanyang mga batchmates. Nariyan ang hirap na dinanas niya sa pagbuo ng kanyang graduation speech habang tinitikis ang lihim niyang pagtingin kay Sofia. Kasabay nito ay ilang pagaalinlangan ng kanyang mga kaibigan sa kanilang buhay sa kasalukuyan at hinaharap habang nalalapit ang kanilang pinakahihintay na graduation.

Mahusay ang pagkakagawa ng pelikula at buo ang pagkakalahad ng kuwento ng Senior Year. Kahit pa maraming tauhan at kuwentong uminog sa iisang kalugaran, nagawa pa rin ng direktor na habiin ang ang lahat ng elemento sa isang makabuluhang kabuuan. Sino ba naman ang hindi nakakaalala sa kanyang high school life? Sobrang aliw ang pelikula sa pagbibigay-buhay sa mga tipikal na kuwento at tauhan sa high school. Sa pagkakataong ito, mga tunay na estudyante at hindi artista ang mga nagsiganap at lumabas na sobrang tototo ang pelikula. Parang pinapanood ng mga manonood ang kani-kanilang buhay noong sila ay nasa mataas na paaralan. Ang ilang tauhan naman ay pawang mga nakasalamuha mo nga noong ika’y dumaraan sa parehas na panahon. Ang resulta’y isang nakakaaliw na pelikula na pumupukaw sa isip at damdamin dahil parang hindi pelikula ang napapanood kundi ang totoong buhay. Buhay high school.

Tulad sa totoong buhay, maraming ibinato at inihaing nararapat pag-isipan sa pelikulang Senior Year. Ito nga ba ang panahon kung saan ang mga kabataan ay naghahanap ng kahulugan sa kawalang-kahulugan ng lahat ng kanilang pinagdadaanan? Dahil dito’y naging kahanga-hanga ang papel ng mga guro sa mga mag-aaral dahil nagsisilbi silang inspirasyon sa mga ito upang maging mabubuting mamamayan na maghahatid ng pagbabago sa lipunan. Sa kabilang banda rin ay marami ding dapat ipagpasalamat ang mga guro sa kanilang mga estudyante na nagtuturo din sa kanila ng maraming bagay ng higit sa kanilang nalalaman. Ang buhay high school nga naman ay isang matinding pagtawid – pagtawid mula sa pagkabata tungo sa pagtanda, pagtawid mula sa nakaraan tungo sa pagharap sa kinabukasan. Nariyan pa ang ilang kalituhan ukol sa pag-ibig, pamilya, pagkakaibigan at maging sa moral. Hindi naghusga ang pelikula at hindi rin ito nagsermon ngunit nag-iwan ito ng maraming malalim na konsepto na nararapat bigyang pansin kaakibat ang matinding pagsubok sa bawat isa na gawing makabuluhan ang pagkabata upang maging maliwanag ang kinabukasan pagtanda. Hindi nawawala ang pananalig sa Diyos, sa kapwa, sa sarili at sa mga institusyon na katulad ng paaralan. Gaano man katindi, kakulay, kapait ang buhay high school, ang isa’y makakapulot pa rin ng aral mula dito gaano man kaliit, dala pa rin ito habambuhay. Makabubuting kasama ng mga magulang ang kanilang mga anak sa panonood ng pelikulang ito hindi lamang para gabayan ngunit para mas higit pa nilang malaman ang mga saloobin ng mga kabataan ngayon.

I Am Number Four

CAST: Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Teresa Palmer, Dianna Agron, Callan McAuliffe, Kevin Durand; DIRECTOR: D.J. Caruso; WRITERS: Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, Marti Noxon; GENRE: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller; RUNNING TIME: 104 min.

Technical Assessment: 2.5
Moral Assessment: 2.5
CINEMA Rating: For viewers aged 14 and up.

John (Alex Pettyfer) is Number Four, an alien disguising himself on earth as “John Smith” to elude annihilation by the Mogadorians. Looking like a handsome ordinary American teenager he easily blends in with the rest of the high school crowd. Everybody takes his being a jet ski whiz as a simple athletic gift until one day, at the beach, when out from his leg emanates a strange light as he writhes in pain. It’s the third scar branded into his leg, and it means his Mogadorian pursuers have succeeded in killing Number Three. He has a protector posing as his father in the person of fellow Mogadorian Henri (Timothy Olyphant) who thinks it is time to move out to a safer hiding place, but John would not leave his girlfriend Sarah (Dianna Agron) behind. Meanwhile the Mogadorians are closing in and a confrontation becomes inevitable, revealing the presence on earth of a couple of John’s allies, one of whom is the Number Six (Teresa Palmer).

I am Number Four looked promising in the trailer but the real thing seems like a patchwork quilt whose most colorful elements are facsimiles of box office hits. A love between an earthling and Someone Who’s Not From Here? Doesn’t Twilight have that? Battles fought in the air? Plenty of that in Harry Potter! A cute puppy morphing into a monster? Well, don’t flashy cars go clank-clackety-clank to become giant metal murderers in … was it Transformers and/or Hulk? A sexy chick kicking ass with nary a drop of sweat? Remember Michelle Pfeiffer, Zhang Zi Yi, Michelle Liu, La Jolie and others who’ve done superwoman stuff? And what about ugly, menacing aliens? Ho-hum. But that’s not the most disappointing. The patch up job would have been tolerable if there had been a good plot to sew it up decently. But as it is, it seems like I Am Number Four has been produced to sell—only that, to sell, targeting 12-15 year olds who get high on escapist fantasy-cum-forbidden-love formula movies.

Because there’s no coherent story really testing the moral strength of the protagonists, all the violence and destruction seems mere debris floating in the air, defying gravity and direction, thereby remaining weightless and worthless as indicators of sound judgment. The lack of a story explains the lack of meaningful dialogue advancing the story. The Olyphant character almost provides a semblance of depth to his nearly-human thinking but it gets buried beneath the raucous computer-generated action. This patchwork movie leaves many holes uncovered, is fraying at the edges, and in its overload of borrowed colors loses its identity.

Faster

CAST: Dwayne Johnson, Billy Bob Thornton, Carla Gugino, Moon Bloodgood, Maggie Grace, Tom Berenger, Micaela Johnson, Jennifer Carpenter, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Courtney Gains; DIRECTOR: George Tillman, Jr.; SCREENWRITER: Joe Gayton & Tony Gayton; PRODUCER: Martin Shafer, Tony Gayton, Liz Glotzer; EDITOR: Dirk Westervelt; MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Clint Mansell; CINEMATOGRAPHER: Michael Grady; GENRE: Action/Adventure; LOCATION: US; RUNNING TIME: 95 minutes

Technical Assessment: 2.5
Moral Assessment: 1
CINEMA Rating: Audience Age 18 and above.

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: After 10 years in prison, Driver has a singular focus - to avenge the murder of his brother during the botched bank robbery that led to his imprisonment. Now a free man with a deadly to-do list in hand, he's finally on his mission. It's a do or die race to the list's finish as the mystery surrounding his brother's murder deepens, and new details emerge along the way hinting that Driver's list may be incomplete.

Who's That Girl?

CAST: Anne Curtis, Luis Manzano, Eugene Domingo, Dina Bonnevie; DIRECTOR: Wenn Deramas; PRODUCER/ DISTRIBUTOR: Viva Films ; GENRE: Romantic Comedy; LOCATION: Manila; RUNNING TIME:120 minutes;

Technical Assessment: 3
Moral Assessment: 2.5
CINEMA Rating: For viewers ages 14 and above

Humaling na humaling si Elizabeth Pedrosa (Anne Curtis) sa campus figure na si John Eduque (Luis Manzano) mula nung sila’y na sa kolehiyo pa. Yun nga lang, palihim ang paghanga ni Elizabeth kay John at pawang nasa pedestal kung ituring niya ito. Kinimkim ito ni Elizabeth hanggang sa sila’y magkalayo na ng landas at magkaroon ng kani-kaniyang buhay pagkatapos ng kolehiyo. Ngunit magbabago ang takbo ng lahat nang mabasa ni Elizabeth ang pangalan ni John sa obitwaryo. Pupunta siya sa burol at gagawa ng malaking eksena para lang malaman na ang namatay ay hindi si John kundi ang ama nito na kanyang kapangalan. Dala ng matinding hiya ay hindi na makakapagpaliwanag pa si Elizabeth at kakaripas na lang ng takbo. Mabibigla ang lahat sa burol at kanilang aakalain na nagkaroon ng ibang babae ang ama ni John na labis na ikagagalit ng ina niyang si Belinda (Eugene Domingo). Ipapahanap at tutugisin ni Belinda si Elizabeth habang si John ay ganun din ang gagawin. Yun nga lang, sa pagkikita at pagkakakilala nina John kay Elizabeth ay unti-unting mahuhulog ang loob nila sa isa’t-isa.

Naghatid ng matinding aliw ang Who’s That Girl sa mga manonood nito sa kabuuan. Pinakamatingkad na yaman ng pelikula ang talento ng mga nagsiganap lalo na si Domingo na wala pa ring kupas sa pagpapatawa. Mahuhusay din ang mga pangunahing tauhan na sina Curtis at Manzano yun nga lang, parang nagkulang pa sa hagod ang kanilang tambalan upang maging tunay na nakakakilig. Maganda ang naging simula ng kuwento at naging matindi ang interes ng manonood sa takbo nito. Talaga namang hagalpakan lahat sa kakatawa sa tuwing hihirit ang kakatwang karakter ni Domingo. Yun nga lang, parang nakakasawa na rin ang iba paglaon. Hindi pa rin napigilan ang pelikulang ito na gaya ng inaasahan sa isang pelikulang gawa ni Deramas, marami pa ring eksenang pawang pilit na isinisingit ang pagpapapatalastas ng mga produkto. Naging matahimik naman sa pagkakataong ito ang mga product placements pero pawang nahahalata pa rin ng maraming manonood. Nakakaapekto pa rin ito ng malaki sa daloy ng pelikula sa kabuuan.

Patungkol ang Who’s That Girl sa kung paanong maraming nagkakasira sa maling akala at kung paanong ang pagkakasirang ito ay maari namang maayos ng pagmamahalan. Yun nga lang, tila may mga bagay na sadyang pag nasira na ay mahirap nang ayusin pa. Tulad na lamang ng maraming bagay na nagawa ng galit ni Belinda dahil sa kanyang maling akala. Pinagsisihan naman niya ito sa bandang huli at naliwanagan din siya sa kahalagahan ng tunay na pag-ibig. Yun nga lang, maraming bagay sa pelikula ang nagkulang sa hagod at pagbibigay ng tamang kahulugan lalo na sa konsepto ng pag-ibig. Hindi gaanong malinaw kung ano ang nagtulak kina Elizabeth at John upang mahalin ang isa’t-isa. Ang kay Elizabeth ay malinaw na pagkahumaling pero tinatawag niya itong pag-ibig. Kay John naman ay pawang pagnanasa pero tinawag din nila itong pag-ibig. Nakababaha lang na magdulot ng maling impresyon at konsepto ang pelikula, lalo na sa mga kabataan, kung ano nga ba talaga ang tunay at wagas na pag-ibig. Ipinakita na sana ito sa pagmamahalan nina Belinda at John Sr. ngunit nasira din naman kalaunan. Malabo tuloy ang mensahe ng pelikula sa kabuuan. Sa gitna ng mga aliw at halakhak ay tila naman yata walang laman ang pelikula. Nariyan pa ang mangilan-ngilang paghuhubad ng ilang tauhan na nasa konteksto naman ngunit kinakailangan pa ring gabayan ang mga batang manonood.

Black Swan

CAST: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Winona Ryder, Sebastian Stan, Vincent Cassel, Janet Montgomery, Barbara Hershey,Christopher Gartin, Toby Hemingway, Kristina Anapau; DIRECTOR: Darren Aronofsky; WRITER: Andres Heinz, Mark Heyman, John McLaughlin; GENRE: Drama, Suspense/Thriller; RUNNING TIME: 110 min.

Technical Assessment: 4
Moral Assessment: 1.5
CINEMA Rating: For viewers 18 and above.

A ballerina with the New York Ballet Company, Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) gets her dream role as Queen Swan when the impresario Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) thinks Beth (Wynona Rider) has become too old for the role. As Swan Lake’s lead dancer, however, NIna has to inhabit two roles—the good White Swan and the evil Black Swan. The problem is while Nina has her technique honed to perfection, she lacks the passion to fill the Black Swan part. At 28 she is still treated by her mother Erica (Barbara Hershey) as though she were 20 years younger, sleeping in a bedroom all pink and fluffy and populated by teddy bears and other stuffed toys. Not for a moment dissuaded by Nina’s frigidity, Leroy spurs her on with calculated seduction, teasing her and then tormenting her by flying in the passionate Lily (Mila Kunis) from California to dance the Black Swan part. Partly to fulfill her ideal of perfection and partly to spite her overprotective mother—a retired dancer living her life through her daughter’s career—Nina is inevitably lured to explore her dark side.

Every single actor in Black Swan have all their feathers neatly in place: smooth, credible performance, good line delivery, great rapport all the way. Cassel is as charming as a devil can be. Hershey fits the aging stage mama role to a T. And Portman gives a performance worth a standing ovation. She’s really good at such roles—as in The Other Boleyn Girl—playing flawed characters who are definitely assured of a place in Dante’s Inferno. Director Darren Aronofsky carries you away with his sense of aesthetics; you get so busy gawking at his mesmerizing art that you lose track and don’t question anything till the end when you somehow suspect you’ve been had.

The story is seen from the point of view of an artist—Nina—who instead of losing herself in her art loses her sanity. Thus the thin line between reality and fantasy is blurred, and it’s you who lose yourself in Tchaikovsky’s music (albeit chopped up and overlayed with electronic muck reminiscent of Terminator). And when Nina does what she does at the end of the dance, you wake up and say, “Hey, wait a minute! How can you be so sure this act is not another nightmare or hallucination or one of those fears and fantasies that rattle her in her sleep and lull her to stupor when she’s awake?”

Who the hell cares? The point is, for CINEMA, aesthetics isn’t everything—neither is technique. Black Swan is both eye candy and tricky brainteaser, sure, but where’s the meat? Its only saving grace in terms of ethical content is the devotion Nina has for her craft, her drive towards perfection. But then again, the devotion crosses the boundary to neurosis, and the drive leads to the perfection of self-destruction. Black Swan is not about ballet—in fact it’s unflattering to the ballet industry; it’s more about an obsession dipped in the glitter of high art but which remains lowly nonetheless because the film chooses to overpower the heroine by her semi-conscious acquiescence to evil. Ask yourself: In the misguided pursuit of perfection is it worth sacrificing your soul for your art?

From Prada to Nada

CAST: Camilla Belle, Alexa Vega, April Bowlby, Kuno Becker, Wilmer Valderrama, Nicholas D'Agosto, Adriana Barraza, Karla Souza, Alexis Ayala; DIRECTOR: Angel Garcia; SCREENWRITER: Luis Alfaro, Craig Fernandez, Fina Torres; PRODUCER: Gigi Pritzker, Linda McDonough, Rossana Arau, Gary Gilbert &Lisa Ellzey, EDITOR: Brad Maclaughlin; MUSICAL DIRECTOR/COMPOSER: Daniel Hubbert, Andrea von Foerster, Sebastian Zuleta, Neitor Pereira; CINEMATOGRAPHER: Hector Ortega; DISTRIBUTOR: Lionsgate; GENRE: Comedy, Romance; LOCATION: USA ; RUNNING TIME: 107 minutes

Technical Assessment: 2.5
Moral Assessment: 3
CINEMA Rating: V14

Nora (Camille Belle) and Mary (Alexa) are beautiful, rich, spoiled and pampered. Although their last name is Dominguez, they definitely do not consider themselves Latina and have put no effort to learning their mother’s native tongue. The sisters think they have everything until their father dies and they find themselves penniless and at the mercy of the woman with whom their father had an affair with. The sisters are kicked out of the house and are force to live with their auntie in the poor side of East Los Angeles. At first, they are bemused at the living conditions of the people and look at themselves as a class way above the rest. However, the Latino community is not impressed with the newcomers. Over time, only when the sisters learn to live beyond their designers’ clothes and BMWs and value themselves for the real person inside their hearts and start treating other people as equals do they find true meaning in life.

The movie is a weak spin off on Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility”. Although, there are numerous instances where we find the girls in hilarious situations, the humor fails to deliver a good punch because the storyline is too predictable and the plot takes a long time to make the necessary twist for character redemption. The problem is in the script. The characters are too shallow and empty-headed that by the time they make the transformation, it is a bit too late to be genuine and to elicit sympath. And because the script is flat and the script shallow, you cannot really expect a stellar performance from the lead actors. On the positive side, the movie is cute and adorable production-wise. The movie starts with an interesting and promising premise but fails to deliver a great movie.

There are several good points that the movie emphasizes:

First, we say that material wealth should not be the basis of judging a person. FROM PRADA TO NADA shows this clearly as characters find meaning in life and self-respect not when they were covered with blings, brands and expensive things but when they were stripped of all possessions and began to interact using their hearts.

Second, people are always capable of changing. We can never say that just because a person was born and raised in a certain way, he or she will remain like that for the rest of his or her life. We clearly see how the lead characters made a complete 360 in dealing and respecting people and in discovering their self-worth.

Lastly, success is sometimes handed down the family line, but it is sweeter and more meaningful when it comes hand in hand with perseverance and hard work. People who have invested sweat, talent and determination in their achievements value the fruits and rewards even more.

The movie is not one of the must-see films but for those who would or plan to, there are good lessons to take home afterwards.

Unknown

CAST: Liam Neeson (Dr. Martin Harris), Diane Kruger (Gina), January Jones (Elizabeth Harris), Aidan Quinn (Martin B), Bruno Ganz (Ernst Jurgen), Frank Langella (Rodney Cole); DIRECTOR: Jaume Collet-Serra; SCREENWRITER: Stephen Cornwell, Oliver Butcher; GENRE: Drama, Horror, Mystery & Suspense; DISTRIBUTOR: Warner Bros. Pictures; LOCATION: Berlin, Germany; RUNNING TIME: 115 minutes

Technical Assessment: 3 ½ .
Moral Assessment: 2 ½ .
CINEMA Rating: Audience Age 18 and above

American botanist Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) flies to Berlin with his wife Elizabeth (January Jones) to speak at a biotechnology conference. Checking in at the hotel he misses his briefcase, rushes back to the airport in a cab to retrieve it and gets into an accident that causes brain trauma resulting in partial memory loss. After cab driver Gina (Diane Kruger) bravely saves him from death, the police take him to a hospital where he lies in coma for four days. He awakens, wonders why no one has looked for him, and recalls just enough to escape from the hospital and return to the hotel to find his wife he hopes will establish his identity. He finds her with a stranger (Aidan Quinn) who claims to be the real Martin Harris. Worse she denies knowing him and confirms that her husband Martin Harris is the man with her. It’s a mystery the bewildered Harris would give his all to solve, and he is helped by Gina and her friend Ernst Jurgen, a private investigator (Bruno Ganz) who used to work in the East German secret police.

Based on French writer Didier van Cauwelaert's novel, Unknown may keep you at your seat’s edge rooting for the accident victim—credit that to Neeson’s looks which seem to naturally evoke sympathy. But of course he’s an actor who feels his role to the bone, even if his character be in such an absurd situation as Harris. Good direction by Jaume Collet-Serra pulls together the pieces of this brain-teasing story into clarity, aided by the lead actors’ self-convinced portrayal of their roles. Ganz as the ex-spy, wizened and wise and blessed with a prickly humor by his Stasi past, lends depth—even heroism—to the plot. If it were up to us, Ganz should get a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Action and violence abound as the audience is led further into the dark, until close to the end of the 115-minute thriller when the unknown becomes known.

Unknown seems to have been made just to puzzle the brain. Older generations would call it “mental calisthenics”, the younger ones would say it’s “mind f—k”. It may entertain many who like to solve riddles but it offers little ethical guidance for those expecting it. Its redemptive factor comes late in the movie when—the mystery having been demystified—a character tries to influence another towards a new life direction. Unknown, however, may arouse one’s curiosity regarding the killer-for-hire industry, to ask questions like: How deeply is a spy indoctrinated to prepare for his or her mission? How does the training impact his self-image? How much of his real self is lost in the process? Does this then still hold him morally culpable for the acts he is paid to commit? Is there another process by which the killer-for-hire is disengaged totally from his role upon the completion of his mission? You see, even movies that critics would judge unworthy may lead to profound thoughts a world in chaos needs today.