Persons Unknown (1996) User Reviews

great cast, standard fare

[sydneypatrick · 6/10 · 26 January 2002]

I bought this movie on-line because it was cheaper than renting it. That said, with a cast lead by the likes of the ever-reliable Joe Mantegna and the under-used Kelly Lynch, and supported by Naomi Watts and John Favrau, my expectations were sadly high. This is nothing more than standard crime fare with double crossing and crazy drug killers and one nasty cop (the always great JT Walsh). However, beneath all that, lies a tender love story between two broken people who just can't take another heart break. I'm a sucker for a love story like this, and it works in no small part thanks to the talents of Mantegna and Watts. I'm glad to have it in my collection.

MAIMI VICE Meets Tarantino

[Theo Robertson · 5/10 · 30 August 2004]

A problem with thrillers from the mid 1990s is how much they try to emulate the stylised film noir of Tarantino . PERSONS UNKNOWN is a case in point . Disgraced cop Jim Holland works as a security expert , has a one night stand with a woman he literally bumps into , realises he may have been stitched up then tracks her down to find out what her game is . Not a very original plot but at least it`s a movie with a plot . Where it fails to a certain extent is through some plot holes the screenwriter didn`t seem to notice but the audience certainly will

!!!!!SLIGHT SPOILERS !!!!

The problem starts when Holland confides to his buddy on the force that he needs details on this girl . Big mistake number one since his buddy also makes a note of her name in an all too obvious plot point . It turns out this woman has stolen the security details of a crack house she and her friends go and rob . Holland who has been spying on the robbers then rips them off by stealing the money they`ve stolen and buys a new boat with the proceeds . Big mistake number two as buddy cop puts two and two together and realises what`s happened and so teams up with some very annoyed Columbians who want their money back . I guess if Jack had been more careful and discreet his friend wouldn`t have turned traitor , but that meant the plot wouldn`t been put in gear

I won`t criticise these plot holes too much because PERSONS UNKNOWN isn`t a bad film . It`s no masterpiece but as everyone has mentioned it`s very enjoyable in a violent and bleak way and has a superb soundtrack courtesy of Ed Tomney . Remember Jan Hammer`s synth music for MAIMI VICE ? That`s what it resembles in this film and is very haunting . Also very memorable is Jon Favreau`s performance as Terry an absolute whacko robber who unfortunately isn`t on screen long enough for my liking

An entertaining nihilistic thriller that may well be remembered in the future for Naomi Watts in an early role

Black hats, white hats, and some gray hats

[=G= · 5/10 · 14 April 2004]

B-flick. A bunch of people after a bunch of money. Sound familiar? "Persons Unknown" tells of an ex-cop with an unreconciled past who falls in with a couple of babes resulting in a tiny bit of sex, a little bit of action, and a big fat bit of drama. Though the film smacks of the usual Hollywood contrivances, such as killing off all the unnecessary characters as an easy fix for dangling loose ends, it does manage to develop interesting relationships between the principals. Is this a good movie? Probably not. It is worth watching? If you're into crime dramas and happen upon it on cable, probably so. If nothing else you'll get Matenga, Lynch, Watts, some early Hickenlooper, and the option of surfing on. (C+)

Moody noir with character

[bob the moo · 16 January 2002]

Ex-cop Jimmy has a one night stand with Amanda but begin to suspects that she had alterative motives when he notices his files have been moved. He begins to follow her and finds that she is part of a gang planning a robbery on a garage. When they carry out the robbery, Jimmy steals their money from storage. When the gang begin to turn up dead Jimmy offers to help Amanda and her sister, however with the drug runners, DEA and a corrupt cop on their trail he finds it a difficult proposition.

The story is not out of the ordinary, robbery goes wrong followed by double cross after double cross. However it is still quite clever and compelling. This is mainly due to the good characters in the film and the back story they have. The action is good as well but it is the back story and complexities of Jimmy, Amanda and Molly that make the film that bit more interesting.

Joe Mantegna has class in bucket loads and is great here as the alarm installer with a past. Kelly Lynch is a bit hammy as Amanda but is good for the majority. Watts as Amanda's sister Molly is also good with a strong character. Strong support also comes in quality form from the like of Xander Berkley and J.T. Walsh.

Overall this is a moody noir that draws strength from it's strong characters. The story may not be too different from the standard noir plot but it is delivered in a dark fashion.

this movie should been a good short.

[xiaochnwng · 1/10 · 4 May 2010]

Right after the male protagonist went to those two sister girls, this movie went straight downhill and that's just about half way through the film. There are some really bad editings in this film. TOO BAD that they are so obvious to the point you'll know that those scenes or actions happened probably right after the director called "Action!" Some of the scenes where one actor doesn't have lines but needs to be in the shot are so raw. These scenes look like a rehearsal rather than a professional shot. I guess either the director didn't spend time with the actors in rehearsal or he doesn't care about rehearsals. The cinematography in this film is bad too, lack of interesting angles, depth of field, no contrast or hightlight...and so you can't feel the tension in certain scenes where they are supposed to hold your breath. The climax is a JOKE. I had to laugh so hard when I saw this is really how the film ended. It's a direction lack of wit or hard work basically speaking... too much negative stuff about this movie and it'll keep me talking for the rest of the day. Well, when a movie went so badly wrong, we would always have to assume the director doesn't do a good job first, bad directing on set, communication, prep work..... It's a low budget movie I understand but low budget doesn't mean the quality of the production has to be rubbish.

Twists, turns, and an intriguing cast = winner ............

[merklekranz · 6/10 · 31 January 2010]

An above average script that only occasionally gets off track, and some truly intriguing actors, including Joe Mantegna, Jon Favreau, J.T. Walsh, Naomi Watts, and Kelly Lynch. The soundtrack is eerie and great. There is some welcome humor, and a budding romance. Rewatchablity seems likely and all this adds up to strong entertainment value. The only weak points are the villains, with the exception of J.T.Walsh, who come across as nothing more than cartoon-like characters. Strong character development and plot takes the place of the usual car chases and explosions. "Persons Unknown" is worth seeking out, especially if you are a fan of twisty plotted films like "Red Rock West" or "Clay Pigeons" - MERK

A pretty good crime Noir Caper

[jamesbaker_331 · 7/10 · 15 September 2010]

I thought this movie had a decent pace,enough in the plot,that it kept my interest. The acting was very competent. Naomi Watts is a very good actress,even in a co-starring role of a girl in a wheel chair,who feels her only chance in life, is to rip off some drug dealers,so she and her sister can make a better life. Joe Montegna ,is an under rated actor,he does very good work when given a decent role to play too. Over all,this is a decent movie,rent it,see it on cable,or online (legally of course). If you want to make a at home double bill on the theme of double dealing crime noir,add No Country for old men,to the double bill.

Worth seeing simply for the nicely-played love story.

[fgunther · 8/10 · 8 March 2001]

The plot of this film is rather weak, and too many of the supporting characters come across as cliches rather than real people. (If I never see another killer in a long, black raincoat on a hot day, I'll die a happy man).

But Naomi Watts and Joe Mantegna both beautifully transcend this material, in a wonderful, understated love story. The usual histrionics of a paralyzed woman in love are left out, and instead we get some genuine, gritty dialogue, and the sense that there are two real people reaching out to each other. She is no blushing, helpless cripple, and meets him head-on, as when she asks him if he's one of those men who're drawn to women in wheelchairs, or who only get turned on by women who can't feel sex. Both actors put their all into this scene, without overplaying it, and draw you right into their story.

The ending is adult, rather than trite, and avoids most of the usual cliches; unfortunately, not all.

I found this an absorbing movie, and highly recommend it for a snowbound afternoon.

This was where I first knew Naomi Watts would be a star...

[Tarasicodissa · 8/10 · 7 March 2004]

Around 1997 while flicking through cable channels I caught the pier scene in this movie and was instantly hooked. The blonde actress in the wheel chair had an incredible presence even just in profile. I did not know who the actress was but immediately wanted to. I checked and she was Naomi Watts (Jet Girl from "Tank Girl" ?). From that moment I was certain that she was destined to become a star. And it sure looked that way in 1997 as a rising young ingenue.

But then for three years her career lost all momentum and sank into a series of minor roles in forgettable movies punctuated by huge gaps of unemployment before David Lynch pitched her that fast ball over the middle she had been waiting for (at precisely the moment she was set to give up and become a yoga instructor) in "Mulholland Drive" that she hit out of the ballpark.

This is a good, solid, noir film of three people who have screwed up their lives with carelessness and substance abuse desperately seeking another chance. I would like it on DVD. It holds up well with levels revealed with each viewing (the subtleties of the scene where Joe Mantegna first buys the sisters lunch...).

A haunting thriller with a heart.

[ybiao · 9/10 · 26 May 2000]

Although "Persons Unknown" is no classic, I must admit I just loved it. It's been a while since I was really emotionaly involved with a movie (not since my viewing 10 months ago of Alfred cheung's "On The Run"). The bad guys are a little to caricatural to my taste but the drama surounding the Joe Montagna character really moved me (what can I say, I am a sucker for "characters with a past"). The score, acting and photography are also flawless.

Very easy on the eye

[neil_mc · 29 August 2004]

SPOILERS

The law of averages would say you've seen quite a few films of this type before you arrive at this one, but it really doesn't matter one bit. Although not perfect, it does enough to keep the crime-caper cynics at bay (the two-very-attractive-blonde-sisters routine probably being the reason for that, but who cares?).

The plot attempts to be so devious and double-crossing that I half-expected Naomi Watts' character to step up out of the wheelchair at any moment (a la 'The Usual Suspects' - or maybe not!).

The way the backstory of the main characters are uncovered along the way, and the manner in which they are somehow interlinked works very well, I thought, and I was very impressed with the ending aswell (although not altogether unusual for this type of film!).

Big Surprise

[zoltar55 · 8/10 · 30 June 2001]

I'm a big fan of Kelly Lynch and in this little movie she did it again she can act.The story is good and the action is fast enough to keep you interest going.Joe Mantegna and an actress I never heard of Naomi Watts did a fairly good job.J.T Walsh os fantastic again.I'm going to miss him a lot he was a great actor.So movie fans if you got the chance to see this movie in a video store try it it's worth the rental fee.Enjoy

Left A Good First Impression

[Danial79 · 17 March 2004]

I saw this movie back in '99 before I knew who Naomi Watts was, but after seeing it, I made sure to take note of her name in the credits.

One thing that I found interesting in this film was their un-cliched use of smoking. In most films, a person only smokes if there is some dramatic reason to due so (eg. To look seductive/sexy, or to show they are bad or "naughty"), but in this film the two sisters just... smoked, plain and simple, and they did so in a manner that made them come across as believable, everyday people. I think there was even a line in there somewhere where Joe's character asks about Naomi's smoking and she replies that her and her sister started when they were kids. A very real scenario, again adding to the characters' believability.

I don't smoke myself so I'm not an advocate of the habit, but everything that can be said about this film already has been said in prior comments and so this was simply something different that came to my attention.

Surprisingly very Poignant & Moving

[solpsizm · 9/10 · 5 March 2009]

I first saw this on cable many years ago as it seemed to be replayed endlessly on HBO, Cinemax and Showtime, almost always late at night. Was quite pleasantly surprised upon the first viewing, and have seen it numerous times since.

First a caveat: the villains are a bit too much like caricatures at times. (JT Walsh, always fine, is the exception.) However, though this is the weak part of the film these scenes are watchable, do not halt the momentum and there are some fine moments (like the shooting on the highway near the end).

What really stood out for me though were the scenes between Mantegna and Watts. For anyone who has any familiarity with fate taking a dump on you and irrevocably changing your life for the worse, these 2 characters with their heartbreaking and compelling backstories will really move and involve you.

The writing and directing is top notch in these scenes, and the performances are outstanding. (I've never seen Watts as good even in her more highly praised roles; BTW, I've also never seen her as beautiful and attractive, too). The way the backstories are presented are very realistic, no overdramatics here -- and I really like the fact that there were no flashbacks nor too many details given, only what the characters felt necessary or able to divulge.

This is especially true for Naomi Watts' wheelchair-bound character. We can see how jaded she is from her suffering, but she never explicitly mentions the incident that caused her to be wheelchair-bound, which is how it would be in real life.

I do not say this lightly: these scenes are some of the most poignant, absorbing and moving scenes between two romantic yet damaged characters that I've seen, at least in recent memory.

Also excellent on this film were Kelly Lynch (never seen her better and rarely have I seen a heroin addict better portrayed), the soundtrack which I found haunting and evocative, and the crisp and beautiful camera-work.

Unfortunately, the DVD version of this film does not have the best video transfer and is slightly grainy and subdued, so the cinematography can't be fully appreciated; the image transfer was significantly better when it was aired on cable, although I haven't seen it on cable in at least five years. Still very worth seeing and perhaps buying.

Although there are better made movies out there as well as in my collection, this is one of the very few movies that -- if not the only one -- I find myself watching at least once every half year or so. I just wish they would air on cable again soon so I could see that better image transfer and record it on DVR.

Average caper flick

[Bob7 · 1 December 1999]

This is about a heist gone bad, and Joe Mantagna does his usual adequate job, perhaps not quite as animated as he is in "Jerry and Tom". It may not move along fast enough for some viewers, and the downbeat score keeps it low key. A lot of time is spent on his relationhips with the 2 sisters involved in the heist. But the plot gets interesting, and it's worth a few rental bucks. It's better than Portraits of a Killer, but not quite as good as Route 9 or Phoenix.