Matrixston Wow! Such a good movie.

Phonearl Good start, but then it gets ruined

HottWwjdIam There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.

Portia Hilton Blistering performances.

xiaochnwng 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.

merklekranz 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

solpsizm 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.

George Parker 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+)