Almost a month into 2025 & we have already got quite a few interesting releases that had the audience eager for more. I did happen to catch up with a few of them, though due to professional commitments I wasn't able to find the time to pen my thoughts about them. This writeup is essentially about two flicks whose protagonists did have a productive run at the theatres last year. Though the box office verdict on both these flicks have already come out, this is what I felt about them.
Identity: "Stylishly executed action flick that does evoke thrills!!!"
This is the first major Malayalam release of the year which had an attractive cast with Tovino Thomas, Trisha Krishnan & Vinay Rai heading the project. It is Anas Khan's second directorial venture & he has also penned the story along with Akhil Paul, who had done the same for the former's directorial debut in "Forensic". As in the previous flick, this one also touches upon medical conditions & has been crafted quite well.
Haran Shankar (Tovino) had an abusive childhood because of his authoritarian father which had an impact on his character & demeanour. However, he had some unique capabilities which translated into him becoming a competent sketch artist. The story unfolds with CI Allen (Vinay) moving to Kochi as part of a murder investigation & accompanied by Ann (Trisha), the witness to the crime. Incidentally, they were provided accommodation in the same apartment complex as Haran & seeing his sketching abilities, Allen decided to seek his assistance in sketching the killer from Ann's description. What subsequently unfolds as a result of that portrait is what this movie is about.
The story as such is engaging & the production values ensured that it was stylishly executed. The climax sequence inside the aircraft was top notch & something that I have not seen convincingly shot in Indian movies. There were adequate twists & turns, which might seem a tad over the top at times but I personally felt that it was quite reasonable, At the same time, certain character aspects that were spoken about in the initial phase takes a back seat subsequently. The technical aspects were all neatly done be it Akhil George's cinematography or Jakes Bejoy's music.
On the performance front, Tovino has done a fine job along with Vinay, with the latter having more scope to perform which he aced as well. Though Trisha's role had relevance in the story, in terms of bringing an artist like her didnt make much sense except from a marketing perspective. Shammi Thilakan did his part well while Aju Varghese & Archana Kavi provided adequate support. As for Arjun Radhakrishnan, he ought to choose roles that does justice to his talent & not merely for the sake of being part of the cast.
Verdict: Both engaging & competently executed that does tends to go a tad over the top especially in the latter half!!!
Rating: 3/5
Rekhachithram: "Engaging blend of fact & fiction!!!"
The movie has already created headlines as it emerged as the first Malayalam superhit of the year & the credit for that goes to Jofin T Chacko. It is his second directorial venture after "The Priest" and he has worked on the screenplay as well along with John Manthrickal & Ramu Sunil. The latter is the one who had penned the script which belongs to the mystery thriller genre and takes on the angle of an alternate event that happened on the sets of an actual movie.
CI Vivek Gopinath (Asif Ali) was suspended for his online gambling activities & was reinstated as the SHO in the sleepy hills of Malakkappara. However, his joining date turned out to be quite eventful as Rajendran (Siddique), a prominent affluent individual had committed suicide in a forest. What made it even more shocking was that he had made a video confession prior to his suicide about a crime that he had committed along with a couple of others close to four decades back. Incidentally, the victim happened to be a young girl named Rekha (Anaswara Rajan), an aspiring actress who had gone missing from the sets of Bharathan's "Kaathodu Kaathoram". So who was Rekha & was there any truth to Rajendran's confessions??? It seemed like too hard a challenge but Vivek was determined to unravel the truth.
The USP of the movie is undoubtedly the convincing manner in which they weaved a fictional event to a real life incident. Jofin has effectively managed to gel mystery with metacinema and that provided a wholesome viewing experience. The idea to bring in real life characters speaking about a fictional incident was brilliantly crafted that it literally felt authentic. Unlike other flicks where the focus is on 'whodunnit', over here it is about why did they do it & most importantly, who exactly was the female protagonist who appeared from nowhere & made an impression in the minds of people she met & then disappeared without a trace. The 'Mammootty chettan' presence was felt for a significant part of the movie & they made sure that it was relevant rather than mere gimmicks. Kudos to the technical team who did a fine job such as Appu Prabhakar's visuals, the seamless transitions between timelines by Shameer Muhammed, the art and costume department and importantly, the AI effects which was well executed.
Asif Ali has been going from strength to strength with his smart choice of roles and making sure that he did complete justice to it. The same also goes to Anaswara who has done a praise worthy job in a role that showcased her ability to portray different emotions with ease and convincingly despite the risk of bein cringy. However, the artist that aced her part was undoubtedly Zarin Shihab who was fantastic in her brief role. There were also quite a few who have also done utmost justice to their roles such as Indrans, Siddique & Manoj K Jayan to name a few.
Verdict: Undoubtedly, a well made movie & Jofin certainly deserves all the praise that is being bestowed on him. Both the cast & crew deserves an applause for their work & it deserves to be watched. Do check it out!!!
Rating: 3.5/5
Regards...Ben
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