The Pool

A miraculous, American-made Hindi film that is every bit as tranquil as the blue-green reservoir that serves as its abiding metaphor.

Uplifting without a drop of sap, the tale of a boy's obsession with a glittering swimming pool and how it changes four lives offers numerous pleasures and one of the most satisfying and resonant conclusions to be seen in recent cinema.

It's a funny, sweet-natured humanist character piece.

Except for Patekar, the main actors are nonprofessionals, which works nicely here.

The result is a vivid portrait, not just of one unforgettable young man but also of a country in transition.

Smith's utterly natural filmmaking there is impressive.

Smith ("American Movie") sees the poetry in everyday people, and lets his rambling story find its own rhythm.