PERSONS UNKNOWN
US, 1996, 99 minutes, Colour.
Joe Mantegna, Kelly Lynch, Naomi Watts, J. T. Walsh, Xander Berkeley, Jon Favreau.
Directed by George Hickenlooper.
Person’s Unknown is a crime drama with some unanticipated complications from its characters.
The initial focus is on a former policeman, played by Joe Mantegna, who has drunkenly killed a bystander at the time of his wife’s giving birth. He has appeared in the courts and has left the force, running a security company, but keeping in touch with former connections and police officers.
He has a one night stand with a drug addict who robs him. He uses a connection to find out about her, follows her, sees her with her disabled sister and a group who commit a burglary on a drug dealing group. He is attracted to the disabled sister and offers shelter to the women from the police and from the drug dealers.
The drug dealers follow, assisted by one of the police, and the drug addict sister is killed – and, in a siege, the former policeman is shot but the disabled sister is able to shoot the assailants, including the police officer.
In many ways, ordinary material, but made interesting by the cast, with Kelly Lynch as the addict, Naomi Watts as the disabled sister, J. T. Walsh is a corrupt policeman and a small initial role for Jon Favreau.
1. A crime drama? Psychological drama?
2. The title, expectations, the reference to unknown criminals? The ordinariness of criminals and some anonymity?
3. Los Angeles, the city, the world of business, the world of the police, drug dealing, robberies? The surrounding countryside? The musical score?
4. The introduction, Jim, as a person, the encounter with Amanda, the pickup, the night, the intimacy, her stealing his wallet? His past, in the police, drinking, his wife and child, the accident and the death of the man, the court case, the reports in the newspapers, his being dismissed, working on security, a new life? Yet his contacts, getting information, Tosh, with Cake?
5. Amanda, her relationship with Molly, sisters, their background and memories, Molly and her accident, in the wheelchair? Amanda and her involvement in drugs? Jim helping Molly, lifting her, the attraction?
6. Jim on the information, the set up, watching the group, the man disguised as a policeman at the door, knocking, the group inside, Molly sitting in the car and supervising? The man inside dancing and not hearing? The entry, taking the money, the shooting and the death of the man? The aftermath and the death of the two in the team? Amanda, her exhilaration, the fact that they achieved what they intended?
7. Tosh, the contacts, getting the information, the continue discussion with Jim, his advice?
8. Cake, his role in the police, the drug case, the issue of the robbery of the cash, the Colombian thugs, searching, tracking down the thieves?
9. Jim, helping Molly, Amanda and her reactions? Her puzzle? The clashes? The plan with the money? In the plastic bags?
10. The thugs, the buildup, the pursuit, characters and violent outbursts? Cake helping?
11. Jim buying the boat, offering to take the women to Mexico, the thugs pursuing, the going to the country? Out of town? Molly and the quiet times with Jim, talking? Amanda energy, going out, the walk, the encounter with the dealers, their pursuit, her reaction, her death?
12. Molly as a character, the experience of the accident, her bond with Amanda, her control?
13. Cake, the thugs, the violence, the chase, the threats, going to the house? Jim being hit, Molly with the gun, shooting? Cake and the confrontation and his death?
14. The persons unknown, the story of their journey centred on crime, the psychological journey, the moral/amoral journey? Future?
