Maya, you bring up an interesting point about expectations. I think the deteriorating quality has dumbed down our sensitivity to tamil movies. We have lowered our expectations so much that , if we dug another 10 feet, we would hit water. No matter what the expectations are, the fundamental quality doesnt change. If it is bad, it is bad. In the yesteryears, you could blame it on lack of access to technology. But, no more. Ironically, the lack of cutting edge technology earlier forced filmmakers to focus on the prime elements of cinema resulting in quality films. Now, everyone conveniently hides under technology. It has become a camouflage for incompetence. Indha mugamudiya kizhicchaa dhaan thiraippadangal uruppadaum.
paarkalaam.

Enjoyed your review - very balanced and fair. I rated the movie much higher due to the fact that I was going in with the expectaion that I was going to see a TAMIL movie. So my comparisons were against other Tamil movies. I therefore came away happy that I didn't have to endure Kamal dancing around trees even for one frame, that there was no goundamani comedy, no lecturing on place of women in society, etc. Could it have been better? Yes - we could have done without flashbacks on kamal's first marriage, the ridiculous dancing in Goa in the middle of climax and white men lip syncing to tamil songs and so on. It certainly could have done without Jyothika and the romance - but I thought it was atleast tastefully done and was glad to note that she was portrayed as a suicidal single mom instead of some bubbly teen going after a 50 year old which is the de-riguer in thalaivar movies.
I wouldn't be too harsh on the movie for those reasons.