While Maayaandi Kudumbathaar made news by bringing together 10 directors in 1 film, Rettachuzhi created even more buzz by virtue of having two of Tamil cinema's biggest directors face the camera. But in the end, the movie has nothing else going for it but that casting news. With a flimsy, familiar story narrated with an inconsistent tone, it is probably Shankar's S Pictures' first real stumble.

Ramasamy(K.Balachander), a land-owner and Congress supporter, and Singaravelan(Bharathiraja), a Communist, are sworn enemies whose enmity goes far beyond their political affiliations. The battle lines are clearly drawn with their grandchildren and other kids in the village also getting separated into two camps. But when Murthy(Aari), who belongs to the Ramasamy household, begins to woo Suseela(Anjali), Singaravelan's granddaughter, and requests the children's help, they decide to bury the hatchet.

Casting two of Tamil cinema's most well-known and respected directors as the protagonists in 1 film is a nice gimmick but director Thamira fails to really exploit the casting coup. The two directors have such long and impressive resumes that the movie could have been filled with in-jokes and trivia that make it fun for the movie buff. But after the introduction of the two, which sees KB refer to his discovering Rajni and Bharathiraja doing his famous folded-hands, En Iniya Thamizh Makkale routine, the film doesn't make any references to their directorial careers. And that kind of negates the whole point of having them in front of the camera.

The film struggles to find a consistent tone and never settles on one. This is most evident in the relationship between KB and Bharathiraja. For most of the film, the two have petty skirmishes that are borderline juvenile and seem more comical than anything else. But the words KB directs at his enemy at the PTA elections are suddenly adult and quite harsh and reveal a past, the seriousness of which wasn't reflected by their behavior towards each other until then.

While the two directors headline the film, they more often than not, take a backseat to the kids. But the kids, unlike the little ones in Pasanga, are the usual over-mature, underperforming bunch of boys and girls. They have a few funny moments(one of the boys' attempts to establish a bond with Bharathiraja using his Communist leanings is very funny) but for the most part, their jokes are ineffective because they are unrealistic(do kids at this age make comments about Kushboo and her troubles?) or just unfunny. As they try to help Aari win Anjali's heart, the movie drags interminably.

The romance itself is too light to make an impact. With Aari and Anjali from the two households, it initially has a considerable roadblock. But once the past is explained(questions linger after that too), the roadblock is lifted and the romance has no real opposition. So the obstruction after that seems manufactured and artificial and so there is no drama in the proceedings.

Among the two, Bharathiraja gets a much meatier role and KB is not onscreen for large chunks of time. That's a good thing because Bharathiraja is also the stronger actor between the two. He is able to express his anger well and when his heart eventually melts, it is more convincing too. KB overacts a bit and inspite of his gruff voice, is unable to keep a light jovial tone out of his voice and expressions. So he never comes across as being serious. New face Aari is adequate while Anjali is simply required to look scared and serious most of the time. Karunas, as a policeman who pines for Anjali, has a few funny comments mostly directed at the kids. Para Para... is a jolly number while Poochaandi Kannazhagi... is cleverly postponed at a point where it seems imminent and plays during the end credits.