20131120: Mystery Review--Unknown

Unknown

1. Fundamentals, reception.
1. American live action feature length film, 2006, NR, 85 minutes, crime, drama, mystery.  Spoken word is English.
2. IMDB: 6.4/10.0 from 21,625 audience ratings. Estimated budget: 3.7 million USD.
3. Rotten Tomatoes: 38% on the meter; 38% liked it from 16,662 audience ratings.
4. Netflix: 3.4/5.0 from 256,792 audience ratings.
5. Directed by: Simon Brand.
6. Starring: Jim Caviezel as Jean Jacket, Greg Kinnear as Broken Nose, Joe Pantoliano as Bound Man, Bridgett Moynihan as Eliza Coles, Barry Pepper as Rancher Shirt, Jeremy Sisto as Handcuffed Man, Peter Stormare as Snakeskin Boots, Jeff Daniel Phillips as Iron Cross.


2. Setup and Plot
1. Jean Jacket wakes up in a closed room where the one exit is locked by passcode.  Other prisoners are present, and most seem worse for the wear.  Jean Jacket pounds on the door and raises a holler or ten, but gets no attention.  He takes a phone call, and takes notes, but seems not to know what it was about.


2. Broken Nose, Bound Man, Handcuffed Man, and Rancher Shirt wake up soon there after, and the four of them try to figure out who they are and why they are together.


3. Elsewhere, Eliza cooperates with law enforcement to get her husband back.


4. Snakeskin Boots intercepts the hostage money and eludes the police; he calls the trapped men and tells them he will meet with them before sundown.  Bound Man finds a gun, but Jean Jacket takes it away from him.  They discover instructions about the toxic gas stored in canister around the rooms.  It can cause temporary memory loss in small doses.  Broken Nose begins to remember a bit later; he was one of the abductees.  He talks to Rancher Shirt, the other abductee.  Rancher Shirt tries to get the gun from Jean Jacket, but fails.


5. Broken Nose frees Bound Man, and the anger rises and partial memories surface.  Jean Jacket gives Handcuffed Man some water, but cannot get the handcuffs off.


6. The last two kidnappers are coming with the money.  Two cops are tailing them with mixed success.  Erin is in despair about losing her husband.  The men in the room with memory loss are cooperating to find a way out before the kidnappers come.


7. How does this pan out?  Be prepared for twists and turns as the memories surface.


3. Conclusions
1. One line summary: Five men with temporary memory loss guess their roles in a kidnapping.
2. Four stars of five.


4. Scores
1. Cinematography: 8/10 No problems.


2. Sound: 9/10 Well done.


3. Acting: 7/10  Jim Caviezel, Bridget Moynihan, Peter Stormare, and Joe Pantoliano were excellent.  On the other hand, Greg Kinnear was unconvincing as usual; with every line he speaks, I look for an indication that it's a joke or a bluff.  I only believe his insincerity.  Jeremy Sisto disappoints as always. 


4. Screenplay: 9/10 Kept me guessing to the end.