Coming from the dynamic Akhil Paul-Anas Khan duo, who previously directed Forensic, Identity created significant hype among viewers right from its teaser release. But did it deliver on the hype? Starring Tovino Thomas, Trisha, Vinai Rai, Shammi Thilakan, and Aju Varghese, it’s fairly obvious that the film does quite well with its performances.
Tovino Thomas plays Haran Shankar, a sketch artist with OCD, seeking perfection in everything. Tovino has excelled in portraying this character, both through his physical mannerisms and expressions, without overdoing it. Trisha plays Alisha, a crime witness. The character feels a bit bland and underwritten, but it can be said that Trisha has done justice to the role with all she could offer.
Vinai Rai, being the seasoned performer he is, has done an exceptional job with his character, Allen Jacob, a grim-witted police officer investigating the case. The intense face-offs between Vinai and Tovino were one of the best aspects of the film.
Playing the extremely serious character of DYSP Dineshan might have been uncharted territory for Aju Varghese, but he handled it effortlessly. For Shammi Thilakan, it was a cakewalk to play Tovino‘s uncle, Dr. Sudarshan.
Even though there are many known and unknown faces in this film, it revolves around a few main characters.
The story picks up an incredible pace with its world-building in the first half. Characters are introduced and set up within the first 20 minutes, allowing the rest of the story to develop smoothly till the interval block.
However, right from the second half, the story starts to get inconsistent. It becomes extremely predictable, some plot holes become apparent, and the film juggles with random attempts at forced twists. All of this, combined with unbearable dialogues from a newly introduced character played by Major Ravi, made the film slightly annoying to watch. The only redeeming aspect of the second half was the climax fight sequence inside an airplane.
The story also attempts to comment on the rehabilitation of rape victims, but it mostly stays on the surface and fails to deliver the intended positive impact.
What saved this film from falling on its face is its technical prowess. The foremost aspect worth mentioning is Jakes Bejoy‘s layered background score, which was nothing short of a banger. It complemented the scenes exceptionally well and elevated the film experience significantly. Chaman Chacko‘s meticulous and fast-paced cuts made the film feel cohesive, even when the story fell off in the second half. The cinematography by Akhil Paul, who is also one of the directors, felt like a breath of fresh air.
This film doesn’t have many fight sequences, but the ones it does have were choreographed with finesse, especially the climax airplane sequence.
Overall, if you’re in the mood for a thriller, Identity might be a way to pass your free time. The commendable making quality of the movie makes it an above-average theatrical watch.
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