Unknown

If you're thinking about seeing Liam Neeson's latest movie, "Unknown," you should be warned that you'll probably feel total frustration by the end of it. You'll also be glad that your own life is so simple – compared to his character in this fast-moving suspense thriller. After all the violence, car chases and disappointments involved in losing one's identity, you're almost relieved when the movie ends.  

In spite of that, "Unknown" debuted as the No. 1 movie in its opening weekend February 18-20 and brought in $21.8 million, according to The Associated Press.  

The plot is suspenseful enough.

What seems like an average American couple, Dr. Martin Harris (Neeson), a botanist, and his wife, Elizabeth (January Jones), travel to a dismal Berlin, complete with icy cold weather and snow, for a biotechnology conference at the Hotel Adlon. Harris is there to give a presentation, but as one might expect in suspense thrillers, something just has to go wrong.

Perhaps one lesson to be taken from "Unknown" is to always tell someone – your wife or husband – or whoever – where you're going, especially when you're in a foreign country and don't speak the language. As soon as the couple arrives at their hotel, Harris suddenly just walks off unexpectedly and leaves his wife at the hotel because he forgot his briefcase at the airport. Big mistake!

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra from Spain, who is no stranger to suspense thrillers, there's no lack of car chases and fantastic crashes throughout the movie, starting with the taxi that Harris is riding in to return to the airport. Musical sound effects remind one of "Jaws" in the most intense scenes. If you enjoy seeing a car plunge off a bridge into an icy river, you'll love this scene. Amazingly, no one dies. The taxi driver, Gina, played by German actress Diane Kruger  ["Inglourious Basterds"] saves Harris from drowning, but quickly disappears after paramedics arrive - much to his dismay.

Harris awakens in the hospital after four days in a coma to discover that he has amnesia. He's thoroughly convinced that he is Dr. Harris, but shortly thereafter learns that another guy has stolen his identity. Aidan Quinn plays that guy, whom Elizabeth now claims is her husband. The intrigue takes off there. It's up to Harris to prove his identity, yet he has no identification on him and very little money to survive on the streets.

If you're a Neeson fan, you'll probably love this movie and be sympathetic to his character. You'll be forced to ponder over how he's going to get out of this mess and what you would do if faced with an identity problem like this in a foreign country. To further complicate matters, the American Embassy is closed until Monday, so he gets no help there.

Collet-Serra provides plenty of action in this film, including thrilling scenes of Neeson skillfully driving backward down several streets and alleys – avoiding death by inches at every turn. It was a little far-fetched, but at least it keeps you on your toes.

Neeson, at 58, is still mesmerizing on screen. There probably isn't a person in the audience who doesn't want to help him with his identify dilemma, especially the ladies. If you expect to see some sexy sparks fly between Neeson and Kruger in the bedroom, you're out of luck.

There's an absence of hot and heavy romance in this thriller. It's all strictly business. Harris and Gina, an attractive 30-something immigrant, keep it platonic but mainly because of their fear of thugs, who just keep right on trying to kill them.

As Harris's identity crisis peaks, the mystery deepens as assassins and a prince become deeply involved in more violence.

Harris still insists he is who he thinks he is.  

And that is what drives the entire movie, so to reveal its ending would be a crime in itself.