Refreshingly, Manikandan refrains from doggedly going for our tear ducts in his portrayal of the lives of these underprivileged (though, there are a couple of deserving moments that brings us to tears); he also doesn’t indulge in heavy-handed sermonising or needlessly attacking the haves (we even get a boy from a well-to-do family who is sort-of friends with the boys to the extent of saving a slice of pizza for them — though the older one refuses to take it deeming it a leftover) and instead presents things mostly in a matter-of-fact manner. Yes, there is difficulty and sorrow in their lives, but there is also an abundant amount of ingenuity, endless optimism, and indefatigable spirit and this is what makes these characters memorable and helps the film soar.
Tamil