What a wonderful and incredible movie, an unusual subject : a man searching for his true personality by transforming himself into other persons by changing his face with masks and assimilate their clothes. I won't tell anymore, this fantastic tale going really very far, e real trip. When seeing this masterpiece, I thought of movies directed by Franju, Cronenberg or Tod Browning's "The Unknown" (and others with the unforgettable Lon Chaney).

When I watch this kind of unclassifiable movies, I finally find there is some hope in discovering movies with real stories, tripping you to dream or nightmare from close life, far away from ketchup blockbusters full of nothing and costing thousands of dollars just to win millions of dollars without a dollar of emotion. In fact, "Un Illustre Inconnu" is intensely rich in emotions, a gripping tale of life with tremendous suspense. Please, don't miss it. And you'll think about yourself. For the better...

Engrossing (if slightly overlong - the first 30 minutes are essentially just a dress rehearsal for the rest) little thriller with an award-caliber chameleonic performance by Mathieu Kassovitz; this must be one of the acting highlights of his career. Smartly presented ending. *** out of 4.

Sometimes an idea can be overwhelming and the weight of it might crush the whole movie underneath it. Other times it just might be the right director and actor doing that stuff with a script that is tight and lean (and mean of course). This is one of those times. It's not easy to watch at times, especially because of the blandness of the main character. But this is a deliberate method/tool and it's supposed to feel that way for the viewer.

Indeed some may feel that there are not enough emotions in this and that's I reckon a fair criticism. It's more a movie for the head, if you want to call it that. But what it does with your head, especially concerning the twists and the whole "Who am I?" identity thing that is going on ... It's superb execution and it really had me at the edge of my seat!