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Friday, February 18, 2011

“Movie Review: Mystery, Neeson keep the 'Unknown' a thrilling, complex ride - Merced Sun-Star” plus 1 more

“Movie Review: Mystery, Neeson keep the 'Unknown' a thrilling, complex ride - Merced Sun-Star” plus 1 more


Movie Review: Mystery, Neeson keep the 'Unknown' a thrilling, complex ride - Merced Sun-Star

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"Unknown" is a difficult movie to discuss.

There's a fine line between delving into this mystery and giving away too much of the plot. The best way to enjoy this Hitchcockian-type thriller is to watch each intriguing scene unfold.

What's safe to say is Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) and his wife (January Jones) arrive in Berlin on a snowy day to attend an international technology conference. Before the convention even starts, a car accident leaves Harris with a head injury.

He recovers to discover someone else has taken over his life -- from his name to his job. Even his wife doesn't recognize him. The quest by Harris to find the truth ends up as perilous as it is perplexing.

Director Jaume Collet-Serra ("Orphan") has created a tantalizing cinematic puzzle based on the smart script by Oliver Butcher and Stephen Cornwell.

Fans of this genre will be able to guess bits and pieces of what's going on. But the storyline takes so many twists the ending's a true surprise.

Just like Alfred Hitchcock, Collet-Serra creates such a strong sense of tension that even strangers on the street appear suspicious. He moves the story along on a frenetic pace but never to the point of the movie turning frantic.

The key piece is Neeson.

Just as he did in "Taken," Neeson is forceful and determined while maintaining a degree of vulnerability. The action scenes create a few questions, but the mystery is cleared up by film's end.

January Jones is the biggest flaw. The nature of her role requires aloofness, but she comes across as bland to the point of distraction.

Even the moments where she can show a different side are lifeless compared to the performances of Neeson, Frank Langella, Bruno Ganz and Diane Kruger.

Consider Jones' work a bump in what's a very brilliant mystery. It's always a treat when a movie is loaded with action and is still smart enough to keep the audience guessing until the very end.



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Amanda Knox wanted to 'throw up' after seeing Hayden Panettiere playing her in Lifetime movie - New York Daily News

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Hayden Panettiere, right, plays Amanda Knox, left, in an upcoming Lifetime movie about her murder trial.

Scarff/Getty; ABC News

Hayden Panettiere, right, plays Amanda Knox, left, in an upcoming Lifetime movie about her murder trial.

Amanda Knox does not want to see her life on Lifetime.

The 23-year-old American, found guilty of murdering her British roommate in a drug-fueled sex game in Italy, was sickened when she saw clips from the upcoming TV movie about her trial.

"She was so amazingly shocked [by the trailer for the movie], Knox's stepfather, Chris Mellas, told ABC News. "She said she literally started hyperventilating. She felt like she was going to throw up."

Knox's lawyers, Carlo Dallo Vedova and Luca Maori, said Saturday that they've sent letters to Lifetime, warning the network to not air the film on Feb. 21.

If the film, "Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy," is not cancelled, the lawyers said they'd take the network to court. They also demanded the trailer be removed from the cable channel's website.

Video from the gritty trailer shows Kercher stripped down to her bra pinned to the floor by two men and screaming for help. Another shows Knox brandishing a knife.

The complaint says the movie, which stars Hayden Panettiere and Marcia Gay Harden, gives an "evil opinion" of Knox and jeopardizes her chances of a fair trial, which is under appeal in Italy.

"I don't think people will have a problem with it," Panettiere, who plays Knox in the movie, told ABC. "It's pretty fact-driven."
 
Lifetime has declined to comment.

In a glimmer of hope for Knox, the appeals court judge last month ordered an independent review of DNA evidence used in the trial to convict Knox.

Knox and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were convicted in 2009 of sexually assaulting and murdering Meredith Kercher in the apartment she shared with Knox in Perugia Italy. The duo was sentenced to 26 and 25 years in prison, respectively, and both have vehemently denied the allegations.

With News Wire Services

ashahid@nydailynews.com

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