DVD: Unknown (15)

Liam Neeson appears to be landing the roles that Harrison Ford once claimed in the 1980s and 1990s; in films like Roman Polanski's conspiracy thriller Frantic and the chase drama The Fugitive.

The inferior, but not unenjoyable Unknown apes both, as well as a raft of Hitchcockfilms. Here the glum, humourless 58-year-old Neeson plays Dr Martin Harris, who is attending a scientific conference in Berlin with his fragrant, much, much younger wife, Elizabeth (January Jones). They appear content, she rests her blonde locks on his shoulder on their journey to a plush hotel. However, when they arrive, Martin discovers they're missing some luggage. Somewhat ungallantly, he rushes off in a taxi to retrieve it, without letting her know. Asking for a trouble, frankly. Martin and his cab driver, Gina (Diane Kruger), swiftly end up face down in the drink. The pretty cabbie saves his life, and promptly vanishes; he emerges from a coma four days later and discovers his identity has been pilfered by a podgy Aidan Quinn. His fragrant, rather blank wife refuses to acknowledge his existence. True to paranoia thriller form, Martin rants and raves and generally looks quite clammy, while the authorities look at him quizzically. However, Gina, rather inexplicably, and a Bruno Ganz's shrewd private eye are on hand to get his life back. Slickly-made hokum, with a few neat twists.