Unknown

Suspenseful thriller about a prominent doctor who awakens from a coma and finds that his wife does not recognize him.  Films involving mind games and assumed identities are plentiful, but the psychological mystery rises above the average action fare through its tightly edited sequences.  The car chases are particularly exceptional.  As the plot thickens it becomes irresistibly compelling.  The stunning cinematography and lush music lend the Berlin setting a gorgeous feel.  The style is intoxicating.  Granted the implausible subject won’t win any awards, but that‘s not the point.  The story is entertaining as all get-out.  Actor Liam Neeson brings real gravitas to the role.  At one point, his character tells a baddie, “I didn’t forget everything. I remember how to kill you, a–hole.”  It’s a tribute to his delivery that we laugh with him, not at him.  The talented Bruno Ganz is spellbinding in a supporting part as a retired spy.  All in all, the proceedings may give the viewer a slight case of déjà vu.  Put this type of adventure in Alfred Hitchcock’s hands and you get North by Northwest.  Director Jaume Collet-Serra is no Hitchcock, but he obviously has a flair for what makes a viscerally exciting movie.  In 2011, that’s more than enough.