What happens when you bring ten strangers together at a seedy motel in the middle of a rainstorm? Usually nothing. As a rule everyone sleeps in and resumes their travels in the morning. However, in “Identity”, the rules are all broken. One by one, these strangers start to die and no one knows why. “Identity” was one of the more talked about films of this year (so far). Everyone was raving about the twists and turns that kept audiences guessing until the end, and for the most part they were right. I sat down to watch it with some friends and it did indeed keep us guessing, but not all the way ‘til the end. We started figuring it out about halfway in, but in the end it was still a satisfying movie. I don’t want to go too much into the plot itself, because I’d hate to accidentally give anything away. Director James Mangold pulled together an excellent ensemble cast, with the exception of Amanda Peet.

Everyone else did a fine job, especially John C. McGinley and Ray Liotta (two of Hollywood’s more underrated actors). The thing about Peet, is just that she’s just so darn annoying in every movie she’s in, and for some reason I just can’t get past that.

The new Sony / Columbia Tristar DVD release gives audiences the option of watching the theatrical version or an extended version with an alternate ending. I have to say I preferred the original theatrical presentation. I just thought it flowed better and was all around a more satisfying experience. The Director’s Commentary by Mangold was interesting but wasn’t necessarily anything special, and the deleted scenes, though fascinating to watch, certainly would not have added anything to the film and it was easy to see why they were cut. The Starz Special is a good behind the scenes feature, but more of a promotional piece than anything else.

The DVD for “Identity” is one of those rare releases where the features are few, but the film itself is so well crafted that it makes to more than worth an evening’s watch. It move quick and if you pay close attention, you can catch a lot of clues that will help you figure it out before the big reveal.

Directed by: James Mangold
Starring: John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, John Hawkes, Alfred Molina, Clea Duvall, John C. McGinley, William Lee Scott, Jake Busey, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Rebecca DeMornay
Extras: Widescreen Presetnation features the option to view the exclusive branched version of the film with alternative ending and additional scene. Director’s Commentary, Deleted Scenes with optional Director’s Commentary, Storyboard Comparisons, Starz Special: On the Set of Identity, Filmographies, Theatrical Trailer
Specifications: Widescreen (2.40:1) Enhanced for 16x9 Televisions, Full Screen (1.33:1), Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Sony Columbia Tristar
Release Date: 9/2/2003
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R (For Strong Violence and Language)
Website

We'll give Identity a B.