Unknown (2011)

This is a good thriller about a man who wakes from a coma to find no one has missed him, his wife doesn't recognize him, and he wonders if he's going crazy, with taut performances and product placement by Mercedes Benz, including some seemingly indestructible vehicles (the car chases alone are worth the price of admission). The fluffy snow in Berlin plays a part as well. Not having seen Liam Neeson in Taken (2009) (though I wrote about my faves in Chloe) I can't comment on the similarities, but apparently there are many. Diane Kruger (Inglourious Basterds) plays Gina the cab driver; January Jones (Betty Draper on Mad Men, Pirate Radio) is Liz the wife (I had to laugh at one scene where Neeson's Martin describes his wife as wearing a "dark dress," when, to me, her platinum hair is her most distinguishing feature); Bruno Ganz (favorites of the few I've seen: Wings of Desire (1987), The Last Days of Chez Nous (1992), Youth Without Youth (2007), The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008)) is the former intelligence officer Ernst; and, in the last act, Frank Langella (whom Jack likes to call Lemon-jello) (some faves: Dave (1993), Lolita (1997), Superman Returns (2006--have I mentioned it has one of the best airplane rescue scenes ever? Yes, I have), Starting Out in the Evening (2007), and, of course Frost/Nixon) shows up as Martin's "oldest friend" Rodney. I like Aiden Quinn (favorites: Reckless (1984), Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Benny & Joon (1993), Practical Magic (1998), and the short-lived series The Book of Daniel), but he doesn't have a lot to do here, nor does the handsome Sebastian Koch (Black Book (2006), The Lives of Others (2006), more). Former video director Jaume Collet-Serra is new to me, as are writers Oliver Butcher and Stephen Cornwell (the latter is John LeCarre's son), who adapted the screenplay from the novel Out of My Head by Didier Van Cauwelaert. Most of the loose ends are tied up nicely by the end.

Not high art, but Jack and I had a good time. Rottentomatoes doesn't really agree, with the critics' score falling below passing with 55% and audiences just above with 61%.