Positive I.D. (1986) User Reviews

Impressive

[howie73 · 7/10 · 12 June 2005]

Although this feels like a low-budget TV movie that you might find on a cable channel late at night, it is far more compelling and realistic than its adherence to that much maligned formula suggests. In fact, it is everything a TV movie is not: gritty, urban, slow-paced but suspenseful, engrossing yet unsentimental.

The actors, mostly unknowns, do a fine job, especially Stephanie Rascoe as the misunderstood housewife heroine who takes the law and her own identity into places she never thought possible.

Interstingly enough, the most compelling aspect of the film is the theme of identity. As a housewives, Rascoe's character is often seen engulfed by domestic chores, unable to get over her brutal attack. However, as her assumed identity, she becomes somebody else - a modern day femme fatale type that sits uneasily with the portrayal of simmering domestic inertia previously shown in the film. The ending is still shocking today and one of the most dramatic films you are likely to see. A minor gem.

B+ pseudo noir that grows on you

[douggers · 12 March 2008]

Everything we know about "B movies" - lesser-known cast, low-budget, a made-on-the-cheap look and feel - is present, but we'll call this one a "B+" movie because it all works so well here. House wife Julie Kenner cannot function on any level; her cooking is a disaster, she can't face a party without panicking, she has a tenuous relationship with her 2 children and an even more tenuous one with her husband, with whom she hasn't had sex in a year. We have no idea what's wrong with her and wonder why her husband hasn't left her. Sure, she's beautiful and we are left to surmise this family was close once and could be again if the husband can just help Julie recover from whatever she's suffering from. She seems oblivious to everything except TV news broadcasts about identity theft, about the rape she suffered the previous year and about how the rapist is getting off with almost no jail time. Now that we know what's been bothering her we're wondering why she's forged a new identity, gotten herself a gun, rented an abysmal little apartment near a seedy little bar, taken up wearing a disguise and become a regular in said seedy little bar. Julie, who's been ice cold since this movie started, boffs the bartender one night then back at the bar pulls her piece out and shoots a young man dead - the man who raped her. She briefly returns to her family sans disguise then dons another one as she heads out alone on a bus as the closing credits roll.

The way this tale unfolds, only giving us a little part of Julie at a time, is unique and tension builds so gradually we hardly realize it until we've been sucked in. Our dysfunctional heroine starts out uptight and introverted like a folded-up accordion, then starts to come alive as she turns into a walking mystery then a stalker and finally an avenger, as she murders the rapist who ruined her life and who society has refused to punish.

This unusual story piques our interest, though the plot feels contrived and there are serious logical gaps, like how did Julie, once she took up her gun, disguise, apartment and new life as barfly, know the rapist would come to this bar? Another problem is the "bartender," who is actually an undercover police lieutenant. Why a police Lt. Would be working full-time in this bar (don't sergeants and other lower-level officers do this undercover grunt work?) is never explained. Furthermore, Julie seems clairvoyant, as she used the cop/bartender, apparently knowing he'd let her commit murder right in front of him without even arresting her. Then there is that puzzling last scene, with Julie donning yet another disguise and taking off for God-knows-where on a bus all alone.

All I can say is her poor husband! I've never seen a guy take so much crap from a wife, all the time supporting her to the hilt and all for nothing, as she seems to abandon her family at the end. Why did she leave like this, presumably without a word? Was she afraid that the police would eventually piece it all together and come looking for her? The logical gaps aside, this is an arresting (no pun intended) and riveting little flick. I found it in the bargain bin of a local video store almost 20 years ago and will no doubt watch it again some time.

Tedious build up to a conclusion that is not believable ..........

[merklekranz · 4/10 · 12 December 2013]

This is the case of a script that unfortunately leads to an "unbelievable" conclusion. Getting there is not much fun either, as the film plays like a minimal information puzzle. There are zero sympathetic characters, especially the unbearably wimpy husband. Since we never see the rape, which is motivation for the entire contrived plot, our housewife's revenge plan really is trivialized right from the git-go. The rapist himself is never even shown, until the moment of his demise. The entire production hinges on improbable events that simply cannot be swallowed as fact. So, what you have is a tedious build up to a conclusion that is not believable, and a movie that is not recommended. - MERK

A compelling film experience, you'll see why this film has held it's own after all these years

[hippiedj · 9/10 · 28 November 2000]

The promotional catch phrase for this film is "never assume anything." That is more appropriate than one can imagine: it also applies to the film industry itself! Some people have dismissed this film due to it's low budget, relatively unknown actors, and slow pace. Assuming you need big budgets and big stars doesn't guarantee a good film and one that will still remain in your memory for years to come. That said, Positive I.D. is proof that a good idea carefully constructed will surpass most other films again and again.

Director/screenwriter Andy Anderson tells a compelling story without sensationalizing the topic of a rape. The film starts a year after the lead character's rape, and actress Stephanie Rascoe does a fine job in conveying her inability to overcome what has happened and her frustration that many around her can't understand why she just doesn't get on with her life. She then starts assuming another identity and the great thing about the story is that we are not clued in on her reasoning and scheme until the very end. Therein lies the slow pacing, but that's the beauty of this film--we are fascinated by her every move and NEED to stick with her through to the end! And what a satisfying payoff that is, too.

As for the low budget, it actually gives the film a real feeling, like the viewer is right there as an observer in each scene--almost as if these lives were being documented. The same goes for the dialogue. Rascoe's creation of false identities by using actual means of legal loopholes is amazing to watch, and frightening because of the fact that people actually do this. On a trivia note Lauren Lane from TV's sitcom The Nanny plays a rather fun role as the neighbor, which will surprise fans of that show.

Back in 1987 Positive I.D. was fortunately picked up by Universal and was given a wider release in theatres, helping it be discovered by a larger audience and notice from the critics, making several of their top ten lists for that year. Over the years it has survived by word of mouth and cable play, but now it can be a part of your collection since Anchor Bay has reissued it, and for true collectors its availability on DVD makes this a must-have title to own. See why an independent production like this from 1987 has held its own after all these years and is still revered by film buffs everywhere.

35 years later, I still remember it

[richardgellis · 9/10 · 31 July 2023]

The protagonist is consumed by her rape, and hearing that the perpetrator is due for release. Day to day life has obscured the event, but the news of the rapists impending release leads to the gradual obsession with the rapist, and a plan(?) for revenge (I'm not sure if she planned revenge, or just couldn't leave it alone, just had to know more). Her actions in creating a new identity, a new life, and placing herself in the right place are how it would be done in that time period. How she turns into someone that she wouldn't recognize, and how she deals with the outcome of her actions, are why it has stuck with me. I was surprised by the, rather ambiguous, ending; not what I was expecting.

Low-budget (and it shows) but a terrific story

[budikavlan · 11 December 2002]

This film's extremely low budget is evident onscreen, from the home-movie look of some scenes to the obvious inexperience of most of the cast. For what it's worth, however, auteur Andy Anderson did a lot with what little he had. Lead actress Stephanie Rascoe gives a strong performance; it comes as something of a surprise as one watches because she's not a typical movie star. She seems more like someone you'd meet at a PTA meeting, so it's that much more dramatic to see her enduring a brutal rape and then constructing a new identity in order to exact revenge. The rest of the cast is mostly one-timers and unknowns, though Steve Fromholtz had some renown as a folk singer and Laura (Lauren) Lane later became famous on "Hunter" and "The Nanny." It's the plot that's most interesting here, though it should be noted that it's much more difficult to assume a false identity nowadays, at least partially because of films like this one.

Split personality

[godspellgroupie · 8/10 · 7 April 2010]

This is another film of the low budget, barely released,but worth the trouble to look for genre of independent films. A brutally raped woman ,trying to adjust to the endless trauma,is appalled to find her convicted attacker is released early on a plea bargain. Upon touching bases in her daily routines,she discovers different things she can do to escape her mundane housewife and take on a completely different persona to help her resume a full life. This film moves at a steady speed and makes it worth the time it takes to get to its climax and delivers it before just before you are ready to predict it. The film is like a close friend saying they found something and having you come and look ,after taking a long walk to get there,surprising you with his discovery.

Very good movie with some surprises (spoiler alert!)

[jmatrixrenegade · 4 September 2000]

This movie concerns a rape victim, who is having a hard time getting over her trauma, as well as realizing how victims of rape are harmed two-fold -- by the act itself and by public reaction afterwards. She sees a report on television on how some people change their identities, which catches her eyes for a few reasons, reasons we will fully learn about at the end of the film, though it becomes pretty clear about half way through.

The film includes a few um hammy touches, including that kind of annoying dramatic music, but is an excellent character study with a twist. Not only does it do a good job showing the trauma of victims, even long after the crime, but it throws in themes of identity as well. The movie does not really have many surprises, though the ending is not as clear cut as a standard film of this type tends to be, but it was a joy (if I might use the word in this context) to watch for the performances. Definitely a good different little film to rent -- I just saw it for the second time, and yet again saw why I liked it so much the first time around.