Refreshing dip into ‘The Pool’

The story behind “The Pool” is nearly as engaging as the on-screen drama.

Director Chris Smith of “American Movie” fame took a short story about an impoverished Iowan teen and transferred it to the Indian state of Goa. He directed actors who spoke no English and couldn’t read. Days before shooting, he had to recast three of the four main characters.

Yet the behind-the-scenes chaos didn’t overshadow the magic of the story itself, a gentle tale of survival and reluctant social climbing.

Young Venkatesh (18-year-old Venkatesh Chavan) works nonstop in his humble village, cleaning hotels by day and keeping busy with odd jobs the rest of the time. He sleeps on a flat surface with only a blanket for cushioning, and he makes spare change by selling used plastic bags with the help of his younger companion, Jahangir (Jahangir Badshah).

Venkatesh’s family is nowhere in sight.

The teen still makes time to daydream, and he loses himself in thoughts of a local pool in which no one ever swims. If only he could dive in rather than work for just one afternoon - and imagine the money one needs to afford such a luxury.

Venkatesh eventually makes contact with the pool owner, played by Indian screen veteran Nana Patekar. Their relationship, which begins with a series of grunts and nods, offers him a chance to escape his hardscrabble life.

The acting throughout “The Pool” is consistently unmannered and, to some eyes, amateurish. They don’t teach Mr. Chavan’s loose-limbed body language in drama class, nor his peculiar line readings. Yet the combined effect is unusually natural - and effective.

Especially touching is the bond between Venkatesh and Jahangir, a brotherly relationship without enmity or competition. Watching them team up to charm the pool owner’s daughter is one of the year’s most poignant moments.

Mr. Smith, who directed and co-wrote this improv-heavy drama, somehow coaxes realistic reactions out of his crew without being able to speak Hindi, the film’s language. He never loses grip of material draped with gossamer-thin layers of class envy.

“The Pool” offers quiet pleasures without the histrionics all too common in indie fare. Heavier subplots lurk not far from the surface, but they emerge gradually and never step on the story or characters.

The first-time actors populating “The Pool” might never make another film, but rest assured, they’ve made a movie of uncommon elegance.

RATING: ***

TITLE: “The Pool”

RATING: Not rated

CREDITS: Directed by Chris Smith. Written by Mr. Smith and Randy Russell based on Mr. Russell’s short story. In Hindi, fully subtitled.

RUNNING TIME: 95 minutes

WEB SITE: https://www.thepoolfilm.com/thepool/

MAXIMUM RATING: FOUR STARS