‘The Pool’: A refreshing dip into another culture

October 16, 11:53 PMAtlanta Movies ExaminerRyan McNally

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Fifty years ago, it was considered exotic for Alfred Hitchcock to film The Man Who Knew Too Much in Morocco. Today, it’s common for big-budget American filmmakers to travel abroad shooting action flicks that skip from Europe to Asia to the U.S. and back again. On the other hand, filming overseas with an all-native cast speaking a foreign language is considerably less common. And doing it on a tiny budget? Basically unheard of.

But that’s exactly what director Chris Smith, acclaimed for his documentaries American Movie and The Yes Men, does with his latest film The Pool. Set in India, the movie focuses on Venkatesh (Venkatesh Chavan), an 18-year-old “room boy” working long, hard hours at a hotel in Panjim, Goa. In his spare time, he teams with an 11-year-old, Jhangir (Jhangir Badshah), selling plastic bags on the street to earn extra money before he eventually settles down for sleep in a makeshift “bed” he arranges on the floor.

Venkatesh yearns to work his way up the social ladder and laments the education he never had. During a walk with Jhangir, a beautiful house complete with shimmering swimming pool captures his attention: “The rays of the sun will fall on me while the water cools my skin. Nobody to worry about—all my problems will disappear.” Using his ingenuity and some innocent stalking techniques, he initiates an encounter with the wealthy owner of the house, the brooding Nana (played by Indian film legend Nana Patekar). Eventually, Nana hires him to help out with gardening, providing Venkatesh the opportunity to soak in Nana’s pearls of wisdom and chat with his daughter Ayesha (Ayesha Mohan).

Despite the foreign mileau, the tale of a poor young man dreaming of bigger things has a universal appeal. But whenever you think you have the story pegged, Smith and co-writer Randy Russell give it a new wrinkle that keeps the film from falling into cliché. It also helps that Smith creates a wonderfully organic feel to the film. The excellent cast, several of whom are acting here for the first time, converse in a way that’s wholly believable. As the film unwinds, key aspects of the main characters’ pasts are revealed, creating a set of fascinating and compelling personas. The fact that Smith has achieved these keen characterizations while working in a foreign culture is even more impressive.

Even with the film’s tiny budget, Smith (who doubled as the film’s cinematographer) frames the action beautifully, employing judicious use of handheld cameras to add a gritty, urgent feel to several scenes. The score, composed by Didier Leplae and Joe Wong and recorded by Indian musicians, provides a memorable transport into this world.

Check out the scene where Venkatesh, Jhangir and Ayesha hang out and eat mangoes. Framed in a static three-shot, the trio banters about dating, love and fixed marriages while zestfully ripping into their fruit. It sounds simple, boring even, but the humor and naturalism Smith and his cast inject into the scene makes it thoroughly entertaining.

It’s easy to see why The Pool won the Special Jury Prize at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for a 2008 Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award (given to the best feature made for less than $500,000). Smith’s powerful work is inspiring in the way it overcomes budgetary limitations to showcase another culture and stand as one of the year’s best films. When it comes to globetrotting, Smith has the chops to run with the Hollywood big shots. Here’s hoping he keeps delivering intimate films like this one.

Grade: A-.