Unknown - C+

On DVD. 85 minutes on DVD. 2006.

Directed with promise by newcomer Simon Brand, Unknown wants to be the next Memento. Its not, but it's still a pretty good ride. Five men (Jim Caviezel, Greg Kinnear, Joe Pantoliano, Barry Pepper, and Jeremy Sisto) come-to in an isolated, pad-locked and barred warehouse, each with chemically induced amnesia. That they were struggling is obvious. Jim Caveizel (The Passion of the Christ) is the first to awake, answering a ringing phone. The voice on the other end makes it clear something sinister is afoot and that some of these men are being held hostage. The next to wake is Barry Pepper (The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada). He and Jim form an uneasy truce that binds them together until the end. Meanwhile, Greg Kinnear (As Good as It Gets) is faced-down with a recently broken nose, Joe Pantoliano (Memento, The Sopranos) is bound to a chair, and Jeremy Sisto is handcuffed to a railing and shot. As each man regains consciousness, the tension rises. Should the bound men be set free? And who, ultimately, was trying to kill who when the chemicals spilled? Allegiances are formed, dissolved, and reformed as first gun and then a second phone call announcing that the bad guys are returning are tossed into the mix.

The premise of the film is an interesting one, but the editing is often maddening. As the men slowly regain parts of their memory, the viewer is allowed to see it as well. Unfortunately, the sound editing is so choppy the words, often major plot points, are often indiscernable. Also, the original film ran 13 minutes longer in the theatre. One wonders if that time helped better fill-out the ending which, although surprising, seems rushed and not fully realized. The acting is solid, especially from Caviezel, Pantoliano, and Pepper. Kinnear can't quite bring the danger and edginess necessary for his role, but he's okay. Still, the subtext here, why we're good and bad and if we are ultimately driven by our experiences or our natural tendencies, is interesting. C+