Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

I saw this movie in the mid 1980s; was dating an Indian girl at the time and she introduced me to some Malayalam movies. Malayalam is a language spoken by people who live in the South Indian state of Kerala. (India has 22 major languages and thousands of dialects).Indian movies are not for everyone; most are musicals and the acting is quite over the top for western tastes; however, there are some very good ones mixed in with all the crap. This is one of the better ones. Excellent acting really draws one into the lives of a farmer and his new bride, who is much younger than himself, and who brings along a younger brother to stay with them. The man is annoyed, but resolves to put up with the boy in order to win the trust of his wife (this is an arranged marriage; they know nothing of each other). The poverty and hopelessness of their lives are portrayed with deft touches, and the movie really shines in showing how the joy of living can be experienced even by those who are at the lowermost rungs of society.I don't know whether this movie is even available anymore in any format. Definitely worth a look if you are into well-done foreign movies.