Identity Malayalam Movie Review
Identity: A Flawed Thriller with Glimpses of Brilliance
A quasi-action thriller that juggles compelling themes and technical brilliance but falters due to a convoluted narrative and lackluster execution.The film Identity, directed by Akhil Paul and Anas Khan, attempts to weave an intriguing narrative but suffers from wavering urgency in establishing its protagonist, Haran Sankar, played by Tovino Thomas, as a prodigy. The opening scene featuring Shammi Thilakan delivers a barrage of explanations about the hero's family background, setting a tone of panic that persists throughout the film, especially during critical moments. While the narrative emphasizes scientific and medical phenomena, its alignment often falters, creating a disconnect with the audience.
Haran is introduced as a talented painter drawn into a murder case, which takes a dramatic turn with the entry of Aleesha (Trisha Krishnan) and police officer Allen Jacob (Vinay Rai). Though the premise shows promise, the screenplay struggles to balance the complexity of the conflict with its relatively straightforward theme. Haran's domestic life, involving his elder sister Devika (Archana Kavi) and younger sister Neeraja (Gopika Ramesh), adds depth to his character but often feels overshadowed by the film's scattered focus.
The film's investigative arc kicks off with a criminal activity at a textile showroom, unraveling Amar's (Arjun Radhakrishnan) blackmail schemes and subsequent mysterious death. Allen Jacob, along with Aleesha, enters the scene to untangle the threads, but the narrative loses momentum midway, failing to sustain its early intrigue.
Tovino Thomas delivers a sincere performance, transitioning into an action hero towards the climax, serving as the film's saving grace. Trisha Krishnan, in a pivotal role as a journalist, is underutilized, her character adding little beyond Aleesha's medical condition, which injects some urgency into the plot but lacks conviction in execution. Vinay Rai's portrayal of the antagonist promises menace on paper but translates into mediocrity on screen.
Despite its shortcomings, Identity boasts technical brilliance. Jakes Bejoy's evocative background score and Akhil George's stunning visuals elevate key moments, though these instances are too sporadic to compensate for the film's lack of concise storytelling. While the film hints at great potential, its execution falters, leaving viewers with a lukewarm thriller that struggles to maintain its sheen beyond the halfway mark.
