The identity is a very captivating and strongly thought out thriller that thoroughly explores the theme of memory, identity and justice. The main plot of the story is the collaboration of a talented sketch artist and a relentless police team in order to find a mysterious killer, and all this in the maze of a witness with a broken mind. Weaving together a blend of crime investigation and psychological suspense, the story is clever in keeping the viewers sitting at their seats as secrets are uncovered and motives are unraveled. The overlay of the plot, the various twists and revelations in the movie present you with plunging into the world where nothing is exactly as it appears and everybody has a secret.
The acts and depth of character make the film more tense. Haran is a man of traumatic background, a secret identity of an old NSG commando that is depicted as strong with weakness. The emotional dimension of the mystery is provided by the character of Ann/Alisha, whose prosopagnosia makes her acting as a witness even more complicated, which makes memory and perception frail. Antagonist Allen is convincingly deplorable – a villainous cop, who takes advantage of his job to enrich himself and his downfall is just and rewarding. The direction is well balanced by alternating between hard action scenes and close-ups that build the revelation and the cinematography and editing techniques produce a claustrophobic atmosphere that adds more suspense.
The theme that struck the most was how identity is formed under the influence of trauma and circumstance as explored in the film. The story of how Haran went to be a victim of violence and emerged to be a hero in search of retribution is an interesting and a motivating one. The twists of the story in addition to the emotional depth made me feel ambivalent, both thrilled and sympathetic and satisfied. The Identity is a good thriller that does not only entertain but actually makes us think of the power of memory, the masks we are wearing and the search of the truth amongst confusion.
