(Chris Smith/2007/USA)
Two
friends, 18 year old Venkatesh and 11 year old Jhangir, make their
living working in a hotel and a restaurant in Panjim in Goa. They
earn money on the side selling plastic bags to passersby in their
free time. Although they live in poverty they enjoy simple things
like homemade chutney, street food treats bought with their extra
earnings, sharing stories and just spending time together. The
dynamic of their friendship changes when Vekatesh becomes focused on
a swimming pool he sees from a mango tree one day. He begins to spy
on the occupants of the household and eventually becomes involved
with them; initially as a helper to the owner, Nana, in his garden
but then as a friend to the daughter Ayesha. The relationships that
develop bridge the obvious societal divide and expose a simple
humanity in each. The Pool is shot in an unfussy, straight forward
way which heightens its realism. The film unfolds at a languid,
deliberate pace which reflects the heat and swelter of the streets on
display. It is a beautifully crafted piece, absorbing and invested
with a humanism that will stay with you long after watching it. The
couple of plot twists, one with the swimming pool itself and another
with Venkatesh in the final scene are lovely little spikes in pace
and emotion.
(3.5/5)
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