Cady's Take:

10 strangers are stranded at a motel after a brutal storm floods the highway in both directions. The always-good John Cusak leads the pack with the strongest performance as Ed. Ed has been brought to the motel when his limo carrying a famous movie star is involved in an auto accident. At the motel, we meet Paris (Amanda Peet), a call girl, Rhodes (Ray Liotta), a cop transferring a convicted killer (Jake Busey) and other motel patrons.

Something has drawn these people to this location, some common link that binds them all together. That mystery is the film's trump card. Once you see where the film is going eveything sort of falls into place and you understand why the characters and action seem more like they came from a storybook than from real life.

For an instant the movie seemed as if it would be a regular "whodunit" but took an unexpected twist. Although this film reminded me of Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho", "Identity" is in a league of it's own. The murders are methodical and precide. This movie had all the right characters, perfect setting and a brilliant direction and style. This is the type of flick that grabs the audience and doesn't let go. It takes you on a wild ride of perplexity and mayhem.

I like to imagine where things are going next and enjoy puzzling movies that surprise me. That's the main reason I liked "Identity". I am going to guess that this movie won't be a film that pleases everybody, but simply because those who don't understand it will say that they don;t like it. It is a movie you HAVE to pay attention to. All I have to say to critics is - "So it's not as simple to follow as Ernest Goes to Camp. Who cares? Use your brain a little!"

The finale is chillingly satisfying; it'll have you talking about it for hours. I strongly recommend renting this movie, but not alone.

“Identity” is Agatha Christie’s “Ten Little Indians” on acid. We follow the journey of ten people stranded at a sleazy motel during a torrential downpour in Nevada. Each person arrives as a result of various weather related problems, including Ed (Cusack), a retired cop/limo driver, Rhodes (Liotta) a cop transporting a prisoner Maine (Busey) who is clearly a killer, and Paris (Peet), a prostitute on her way to Florida to start a new life. As people begin to die and turn up with numbered hotel keys in their possession, the story cuts to a sanity hearing for a prisoner about to be executed. The two stories do not overtly connect until the end of the movie, at which point you will look back and say “Ahhhh, I see how they did that.” “Identity” is not a perfect movie, but it is clever, and the actors do an excellent job with fairly limited material. What we have here is one part psychological thriller, two parts rainy, messy horror flick.

I particularly enjoyed the performances here, even more so in retrospect because you can really see the clear outlines of each character; Peet the prostitute, Ed the good cop, Ginny the scared teenager. Again, without giving away anything, we are shown later how important it is that these very distinct personalities come together. I think Amanda Peet repeats what she managed to portray in another movie, “Igby Goes Down” – a down and out woman, doing what she must to survive. Peet doesn’t play it too hard or too soft, and I think of perhaps all the people assembled at the hotel, her Paris is the most real.

John Cusack has a knack for choosing roles that defy an image of him we may have begun to form. From the quirky Lloyd Dobbler in “Say Anything” to the neurotic hit man Martin Q. Blank in “Grosse Point Blank”, and as the disillusioned art dealer Max Rothman in “Max” I believe that John Cusack is among the most talented actors making movies today. He picks projects that have strong storylines, and he has a sense of character development that helps guide the plot with more natural grace than most. “Identity” is a very, very good movie and all the more so for Cusack’s presence.