Identity

IDENTITY brings a unconventional narrative though the plot is rather slender. The screenplay skillfully keeps the suspense alive but fails to maintain engagement for most of its runtime. While some moments do lag with the slow pace narration, some are crafted with sheer brilliance and pulse-pounding excitement. Few plot twists add intrigue and keep the audience guessing but others feel forced and perplexing.

Trisha is an undeniable powerhouse of talent and beauty but her character isn't explored to its full depth, her performance is nuanced, authentic, and compelling. However, her styling and makeup could have been more refined.

Tovino, in the lead role, delivers a pitch-perfect performance, embodying his character with charisma and conviction. Supporting actors like Vinay Rai and Shammi are equally commendable, each bringing distinct energy to their roles, making the ensemble cast stand out.

The cinematography experiments with inventive shot compositions and lighting, yielding a visually dynamic experience in parts. While not consistently striking, the overall visual tone is effective.

The action sequences are choreographed with precision, exuding style and intensity.

The background score deserves applause for setting the right tone, seamlessly elevating the narrative.

Production design complements the story well, adding authenticity to the world-building.

Directors Anas Khan and Akhil Paul deliver a polished film that often feels like a Hollywood venture, thanks to its slick execution and ambitious vision.

In many ways, Identity is technically superior to Forensic and boasts some interesting characters (like that of Tovino's and Trisha's). But the "hack" writing that somewhat derailed Akhil Paul & Anas Khan's previous venture is a major drawback here too. This is a film with several twists and turns, though none of them pack a serious punch. It's almost as if the writers knew this beforehand, so they've tried their best to salvage it in the making. As such, we're treated to some slick action blocks, both on land and in the air. Most of the exposition has a Wikipedia-reading feel to it, packed with a little too much info. Sure, it helps provide additional context, but do we really need SO MANY characters and subplots to get to the rather obvious conclusion?

The technical aspects are commendable - Yannick Ben and Phoenix Prabhu effectively crack the stunts, DoP Akhil George captures the leads and proceedings stunningly, and Jakes Bejoy delivers a killer score (though a bit reminiscent of Forensic). Visual effects are also largely decent (with the exception Aju Varghese's moustache). The screenplay could've gone in interesting directions, especially with respect to Trisha's character. But when the focus shifts to Tovino's Haran Shankar (sketch-artist-turned-whatever), the film starts faltering big time. I think the writer-director duo needs to ensure that their next screenplay is fat-free, unnecessary-characters-free, and most importantly, uses non-linearity only if it amps up the (actual) thrill quotient.

To start with, the movie is not a cheaply crafted entertainment: the team has done efforts to make it something that seems like a suspense thriller: unfortunately, the efforts have not succeeded. Wholistically speaking, it is a slow paced thriller that does not get into the audience to be connected with the characters, or to feel for them. Not even a single character leaves a sentimental impression on the audience while the cinema is over. There is little emotional content that can be felt and related.

The thriller part does not excite audience who have witnessed better movies. There is a whole load of stuff as thrilling packed, but without any effect.

The theme is somewhat new, however, not novel. There are many occasions where improbable surpasses reality, which fails to connect to the audience. There are so many questions unanswered for the audience, such as the identity of the protagonist himself. In a nutshell, it is cheap parody of a suspense thriller.

A Gripping Start, A Confusing Descent: The first half of this movie is undeniably gripping and engaging. It pulls you in with a compelling story and keeps you hooked with its suspenseful atmosphere. The pacing is excellent, and the characters are intriguing enough to hold your attention.

However, the second half takes a dramatic turn for the worse. In an apparent attempt to deliver unexpected twists and surprises, the writer seems to have derailed the narrative. The plot becomes increasingly convoluted and confusing, leaving the viewer feeling disoriented and ultimately unsatisfied.

While the initial promise of the film is undeniable, the second half unfortunately diminishes its overall impact. I'd recommend waiting for this semi-thriller to arrive on OTT platforms. The first half is definitely worth experiencing, but the second half might leave you feeling disappointed.

Overall: * Strengths: Gripping first half, engaging pacing, intriguing characters.

* Weaknesses: Confusing second half, convoluted plot, underwhelming twists.

* Recommendation: Wait for OTT release. Enjoy the first half, and be prepared for a potential letdown in the second.

I liked the movie until the first half, but after that the movie took turns like a typical Vijay movie. Over hyping hero and his career background displayed exactly like in tamil movies. "You don't know who my brother is", this kind of dialogues we have seen a lot in kollywood. Trisha didn't had anything to do and some scenes felt so artificial. There were so many unnecessary lagging scenes which could have been removed and made the movie little shorter. In some scenes background scores were bad, especially in the climax. I don't know how people rated this movie more than 8 and even 10. Tovino, we expected better from you.