An absolutely fantastic movie, to say the least!! This movie is the stand-out proof, if any were required, that Tamil cinema has been there on top with the best in the world when it comes to meaningful n powerful contributions to cinema.
It's a simple story about an extraordinary man and his relationships with a perfectly ordinary world. Sitthan is a child of the graves, born in a cemetery and lived there all his life until one day, as a grown man he is forced to step out into the world. He is caught in times he does not understand. He is totally and believably unaware of such concepts as money, the police and dining etiquette. What he does possess is an animal instinct to survive.
A street-side drug seller takes him into her fold and gets him employed in a cannabis farm. The rest of the story revolves around how he meets Shakthi, a conman who becomes his friend for life and how the two proceed through their collective lives.
The movie is commendable in in many ways. Vikram gives a stellar National Award-winning performance as Sitthan. Almost dialog-less throughout the movie, he excels in every scene, emoting complex sentiments easily through gestures and grunts. His body language is compelling, almost prehistoric and carries a hint of an unspoken raw terror. The scenes where he mauls the policemen are brutal but bloodless. In one scene where he is hung on a rod like a captured tiger, he sends a growl into the face of a policemen, with such intensity it evokes unpleasant memories of Hannibal Lecter. Simply superb.
The rest of the cast delivers the goods too. Shakti, played by Surya as the one soul who understands Sitthan is touching and convincing. The ladies are largely soulful. The direction by Bala is splendid, taking the story along with effortless ease. The fight sequences with Vikram butchering everyone are chillingly choreographed to incessant wild grunting. Though the editing could have been a lot slicker, the camera work is pretty good.
The only scenes where the movie goes off track are the scenes with Simran and her hip-shakes. A totally unnecessary song-dance sequence. Also, Laila, playing Shakti's love interest, overdoes it at several occasions. But Vikram drowns it all.
On the whole, a fantastic movie that delivers the slow-paced caffeine of a classic.
