As a foreigner, "Rhythm" was the first Tamil film that I saw that I truly enjoyed. I worked in south India for ten years, but I could never really enjoy the films, which seemed to be made primarily for mass appeal in the Tamil market, and didn't really have a lot of appeal internationally. "Rhythm" was a refreshing break. It still had traces of those clichés: there are still song duets that feel out of place in a serious story, there is some pointless action scene in the second half, but overall, it was a very satisfying film. At its heart, it is a very simple love story between widow and widower, but it's told in a very subtle, adult way that is somewhat rare to find. Both the characters are very likable and their dialogues and interactions are all played in a realistic and quiet manner. Their relationship grows gradually and comes to a slow conclusion - there is no big climactic emotional romance scene. But that quiet approach makes it very believable and sweet, especially because it doesn't drown itself in sentimentality. This is the kind of love story that might just be happening somewhere in the world today, instead of just in a movie.
I just wish that it didn't have any of typical Indian film things like song-and-dance numbers. Don't get me wrong, the songs are nice, but they are something that feels weird to moviegoers outside of India. If "Rhythm" was a 100% straight movie it's something I would recommend to anyone without a second thought, even if they aren't familiar with Tamil movies.
