Suture

Shot in black-and-white, this neo-noir begins at its end, by asking the question: how is it we come to know who we are? Involving an unusual identity play, the film goes about answering its opening question through a fascinating meditation on race. When Vincent (played by white actor Michael Harris) reunites with his estranged and unknown half-brother Clay (played by black actor Dennis Haysbert), the film quickly establishes an interior logic whereby the two men appear identical within the boundaries of the film. Further complicating matters, when Vincent's botched attempt to murder Clay and pass off the body as his own leaves Clay with amnesia and in need of reconstructive plastic surgery, Clay emerges and assumes the identity of Vincent. Having his African-American lead join Clay's white, upwardly mobile world, director David Siegel plays on stereotypes with great success, calling into question not simply how we come to know who we are but how we come to know what we see.