24 frames per second

A bit spoilerific, so read at your own risk!

A renowned encounter specialist guns down an alleged rapist-murderer, only to find later that he is innocent. This discovery puts into question his notions of being judge, jury and executioner on behalf of those wronged by criminals. His only atonement now is to clear the innocent man’s name, bring the real culprits to justice and accept whatever punishment the law metes out to him for having killed the former. It doesn’t sound all that groundbreaking, but consider the notion of hanging the guilt of murdering an innocent man on a mainstream Tamil hero. This doesn’t happen often.

On top of this, there are all these little things the film does right. The hero’s moniker gets referred to at the beginning of the film, and then indirectly, right at the end when he uses it to make a point in a classroom — the contrast between these two is the whole point of the film. An early conversation between Athiyan (the Vettaiyan of the title) with a young woman refers to his wife’s decision not to have kids — she believes that the sins of the parents will eventually be visited upon the children. You are reminded of this right at the end when Athiyan finds himself at the morgue, signing for someone’s body in loco parentis. There’s a reasonably nuanced argument about the glorification of vigilante justice, and how both justice delayed and justice hurried are problematic. There are some very interesting points on how classism is inherent in how systems serve the public, be it education or law and order.

And yet.

The trouble, for me, is that Vettaiyan doesn’t have the courage that its eponymous hero has. Here is a man who has taken the life of an innocent. Where is his torment? The man who acts as his conscience has, in the past, proven capable of excoriating God for messing up. Where’s the fire and brimstone? There’s a single line about why his wife doesn’t want children. The wife is played by a superb actress, and he himself is quite capable of being a great dramatic actor when he is directed by someone who knows what to do. Where’s the fantastic marital drama?

To paraphrase the film’s own analogy, it takes aim, but doesn’t pull the trigger.