Ten people find themselves stranded at a motel, and someone starts picking them off. This, along with a whole bevy of weirdness, makes 2003’s Identity a tight, tense slasher-thriller. Directed by James Mangold, Identity checks into the murder motel on Arrow Video 4k this month.
The Film
Slight detail-less spoiler, kinda (yup, right at the start): You know a movie’s good, damned good, when there’s a BIG twist 70 minutes into a tight 90 that fundamentally changes how the remainder is seen; one that could take the air out completely but instead invigorates. James Mangold, directing Identity from Michael Cooney’s excellent script, proves his showmanship as a great director, as he followed Identity with Walk the Line, Logan, and Ford v Ferrari (and others), by handling such a precarious shift with such skill.
Of course, I dare not give away any more than that for those who might have missed the 2003 horror-mystery before now. Hey, no issue; we see things when we see things. Anyway, Identity is a hell of a picture, one I’ve really enjoyed since seeing it in the first run back in the day, and like so many films like this, it’s good to come in blind (so glad I read the Fangoria article about it AFTER seeing it, as it straight up gave away the turn, IIRC). It’s a twisty flick of a selection of people who find themselves at a run-down desert motel one very rainy night: a cop and convict, a limo driver and his high-strung client, a family, a bickering couple, a sex worker getting out of Las Vegas, and the seedy, nervous motel clerk. So rainy that both ends of the road wash out. Each of these folks, some alone and some connected, is on the run or on edge in some way, with secrets to spare. Cooper’s script gives enough character to them, in a way, purposely cliché sketches to work in and around the style.
And someone wants to get rid of them all. At one point, a character directly references Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None (okay, they used the novel’s second title, less offensive than the first but still an issue); and it’s apt. Situations lead to bloody deaths and mysterious disappearances. Thus, the continually shrinking remainder of characters, most specifically John Cusack’s limo driver Ed, Ray Liotta’s cop Rhodes, and Amanda Peet’s sex worker Paris, try to suss out if one of them is killing, if it’s someone they’ve not met, or something completely different. For it’s a weird place, and some surreal notions start to appear, indicating something bigger is going on. But how, why, and because of who?
Let’s not forget a midnight meeting between a judge, a set of lawyers, a psychotherapist played by Alfred Molina, and Pruitt Taylor Vince’s Malcolm Rivers, a man about to be executed for murder. Epistolary reports in the credits indicate a young boy left alone in a motel, growing up to be a murderer who killed a ton of people at a motel. Is this that event? When was the little boy left? Is this the man? Watch to see how. There’s a storm going on as well; is this at the same time? It’s not as simple as you might posit.
Watching it unfold is a treat. Like I said, I’ve seen this film several times, and even when knowing all the details, I’m still engrossed as if it were the first time. Mangold moves the film with energy, clocking in at 90 or 91 minutes depending on the cut (both are on the disc; the extended cut is preferred, as it adds a good exposition scene and more blood without disrupting anything), wasting no time. It helps that it looks great. Mark Friedberg’s motel set is a wonder, and it’s all filmed at “night” (dark soundstage) in the rain. With Phedon Papamichael’s cinematography and the lighting working with Mangold’s direction, it has so much slick atmosphere, using darkness with spots of light: neon, fluorescence, and headlights, to build a tone.
Mangold gets the most out of his talented cast. As noted, the script from the Jack Frost (the mutant killer snowman one, not the far scarier Michael Keaton monstrosity) duology writer-director makes them purposeful archetypes, and they bring them to life and work their secrets with care. Cusack, Liotta, and Peet make a great trio, playing off one another. Also, Jake Busey, being a Busey; Scrubs’s John C. McGinley playing against type; Clea DuVall; Rebecca De Mornay; and a favorite character actor, John Hawkes.
Identity is a film that worked so well for me. I love the mystery and how it unfolds, moving in and around a great set. Solid actors bring all the death to life. Cooney’s script crafts a great setup and payoff, and Mangold brings it to life incredibly, shifting his career from stuff like Kate & Leopold and Girl, Interrupted (although I admit to liking them, they are very different from his later filmography).
The Packaging
Arrow offers Identity on a single 4K UHD disc. It’s a 4k UHD only, no Blu-ray. It’s situated in the black 4k case with a booklet. The sleeve is reversible, with two options of the original poster art: the white-background handprint with people and the Famous People Poster. The cardboard O-sleeve is the handprint.
The Presentation
OOOH. So. Pretty. The rain-soaked, noir-inspiring visuals pop with amazing detail in the darkness. Crisp, it pulls you in. A film shot almost entirely in the dark can often be lost in said darkness, but it comes across so strongly, enhanced in 4k, with the black levels standing out in the whole design. Additionally, the sound is the same, with the continued rain and sounds coming from all around, enhancing the immersion of the motel. In English with English subtitles.
The Features
Arrow includes all the features from previous editions (the last was the 2007 Blu-ray) and adds two interviews and a booklet.
Commentaries (archival)
1 – James Mangold gives the whole works commentary, discussing anything and everything to go with the making of the film. It’s an expertly designed film, and one can feel that with teh commentary. Loved hearing how they planned and worked around any snag and the whys of it.
2- Writer Michael Cooney is highly entertaining. As the writer, that’s much of his focus, but his commentary works with Mangold’s in the hows. He’s very forthcoming about what was his and what was molded afterward (and seems totally fine with it, understanding the process). But as a complicated web of the film, it’s great to hear how he made it all fit.
Interviews (both new)
I Met a Man Who Wasn’t There
Pruitt Taylor Vince, who played Malcolm Rivers, talks about his smaller part and how he approached. Rivers, and a brief talk of his career on the whole. He’s been in so many things as a great character actor (his scene as Pa Kent in James Gunn’s Superman made me weep buckets). Here he tears up telling a story. I bet he can talk for ages on his work. (13m)
Producing Identity
Cathy Konrad gives an insightful talk about her producing history. She kinda fell into it and did some great stuff. She’s the one who found and brought us Scream. So thank you for that. She talks about her behind-the-scenes work, finding and molding stories. Regarding this film, she echoes the comments about taking a big script and turning it into a hell of a film. Great work, Konrad and team!
On the Set (archival)
A standard-issue EPK hyping the film as they made it. It is what it is.
Deleted Scenes
Available with and without Mangold commentary, these scenes are interesting but add nothing to the film, so I can see why they were cut to get to 90. But nice to see.
Storyboards
Three scenes play with Mangold’s storyboards. So glad it’s one image and not the “hit the angle button” that never works. (4m)
Trailer
Image Gallery
234 (!) prodocution and behind-the-scenes images.
Booklet
A nice 32-page booklet. It has the regular things, plus extras. Stars, Storms, and Stabbings? by Andrew Cardino situates Identity within the early-2000s horror scene and shows how the film speaks to itself and to the genre. Quite in-depth. Most of the booklet is the original production notes. This is a highly detailed volume. Far more work has gone into this than into many of the others I’ve seen.
Final Thoughts
James Mangold’s Identity, from the script by Michael Cooney, is a fantastic slasher-thriller that holds up after countless viewings. It has a sharp script, great performers, and one hell of an atmosphere. Arrow’s new 4k looks astounding, highlighting the care in its creation. The features are mostly ported, but they, along with the new interviews, are very good. As the last edition was released 20 years ago, it’s high time to upgrade.