February 20, 2011 -- When I first saw the trailers for this film, I thought it was about the stupidest idea for a movie I'd ever seen. A guy wakes up in a hospital after a head injury and suddenly nobody knows who he is, not even his own wife! Obviously, this is some big conspiracy being perpetrated against this fellow for some reason. Well, I went to see it and, believe it or not, there is a logical explanation for this plot. Everything is explained, without the need for a vast conspiracy, supernatural intervention, science fiction technology, or “it was all a dream, a hallucination, alternate reality” or some other nonsense like that. It actually all does make sense in a real world sort of way. But I won't give away the ending by telling you how the plot manages to pull this rabbit out of the hat. I'll just say this, that I was impressed by this clever plot device.

This film has been so heavily promoted you've probably already seen the trailer teaser on TV. Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson of “Taken”) gets into a car wreck in Berlin, wakes up in the hospital and nobody knows who he is, even his own wife, Elizabeth (January Jones of “Pirate Radio”) denies she knows him. Another man (Aidan Quinn of “Jonah Hex”) has taken his place and has his identity at an international medical convention in Berlin. Everybody, even the police, believe the impostor is Dr. Martin Harris. He is forced to search for someone who can confirm his identity. He enlists the aid of a former East German spy, Ernst Jürgen (Bruno Ganz of “Downfall”). At first Harris is almost convinced there is something wrong with his memory after the accident, but then people start trying to kill him. He and Ernst Jürgen may be getting too close to the truth to be allowed to live.

Also along for this wild ride (there are some good car chases and other action scenes) is Gina (Diane Kruger of “Inglourious Basterds”) the taxi cab driver who saved Harris' life after the accident. After Harris seeks her out for answers, she becomes a target of the same people who are trying to kill him. She tells Harris thanks a lot for getting her involved in this mess, and then saves his life a few more times, becoming quite fond of him. O.K., so that part isn't quite so believable, but there is a good explanation for the situation that Harris and Gina find themselves in. There is also a good explanation why Dr. Harris turns out to be an expert driver and very tough in a fist fight. Another key character is a colleague of Harris, Rodney Cole (Frank Langella of “Frost/Nixon”). This is a well-acted, well-written movie with some good action scenes. While it isn't very believable, it is more believable than you would think after seeing the trailer. This film rates a B.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in digital formats, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2011 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
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