‘Rorschach’ in medical terms, is a psychological test that is used to assess a person’s personality traits from their interpretation of an inkblot.
Now consider, the Mammootty-starrer titled the same is the inkblot. What is your perception of the film? How does it make you feel? I think your answer depends on what your characteristics are and how you process your emotions as well.
The story of Rorschach unfolds in a rustic rural backdrop revolving around a foreign-returned Luke Antony (Mammootty). He is in a village which is clouded in mystery, with a mission and is determined to accomplish it.
Luke is not in a hurry to reveal his character or his goals right away. He and the film take their time to drop the suspense bomb, sit on it to raise our tension, and explode when we least expect it to.
Deploying a compelling visual-storytelling and oscillating between the past and the present in a smooth fashion, Rorschach promises an immersive experience if you are willing to pay the full-attention it deserves.
If you stick along with patience, Rorschach lets you experience the joy of connecting the dots at your own terms.
The most interesting aspect of the film is that the director, Nissam Basheer uses confined spaces — Luke’s half-constructed horror house and his haunted mind, to engross us into the Rorschach world.
It isn’t just Mammootty who aces his role as a conflicted protagonist. Other stars in the film including Jagadish, Sharafudheen, Grace Antony, Bindu Panicker, Sanju Sivram, and Kottayam Nazeer score with their convincing performances.
The detailing of the characters and the casting of the film is impeccable. Almost all of them explore intriguing shades of gray.
Specifically, Bindu Panicker’s role as a mother is applause-worthy. It lets us ask, "To what lengths one can go to protect their family?" We could feel parts of Mohanlal’s Dhrishyam or its Tamil remake Kamal Haasan's, Papanasam when we are watching her sequences for they elucidate such complex emotions.
However, the film does feel like it meanders a bit once you get a hold of the real intentions of every character. But most importantly, Midhun Mukundan’s music adds a whole new dimension to the narrative.
With recent films like Dhanush’s Naane Varuven, Vikram’s Cobra and now Mammootty’s Rorschach, one thing is for sure — it’s raining psychological thrillers in the South film industry. Keep them coming, Keep them unique and interesting. Looking forward for more!
Rorschach is running in cinemas now.
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