Jal Movie Reviews

Jal is a work of remarkable resonance. The sheer visual mastery of Malik’s directorial debut takes your breath away. The sheer velocity and spatial harmony of the intrinsically disturbed desertscape, the incredibly nuanced sound design and the powerhouse performances by actors who forget the camera is watching them, make this a work whipped into eternity by vast stretches of unchained artistry.

In the rustic desertland of India emerges the story of Bakka and his village folk, who're so caught up in their war for water that it dilutes all other emotions. Most of all - love!

Jal was much loved in the film festival circuit. It’s great that films like this one get to live their glory on various movie screens. Now, it’s up to you really to watch, and judge.

JAL makes a rock-solid impact. It’s poignant and powerful and I suggest, you take time out to watch this truly gripping fare.

Though Jal’s story is earthbound, it takes occasional flight, like a good, compelling dastan. But the film has an intermittently sparse and jam-packed screenplay and it tells its story in a style that’s a mix of documentary and theatre — an affected, stylised narrative borrowing both form and spirit from various folk dance traditions. The film is marred by an uneven screenplay that rises and dips a lot initially. But once the story picks up, after interval, it’s a delight to watch Purab Kohli.

JAL is a classic example of how to waste a wonderful concept. JAL is a visual delight. The dry, arid land is captured well. So also is the basic premise. But what lacks punch are the two Indian officials whose character graph makes no sense. Ditto the ‘bland acting’ of the gora who behaves like a five-year-old who just had a fight with his friend.

I was definitely expecting a lot more from this movie. But unfortunately, it doesn’t take much time for a good film to turn sour.

So what you get in the end is a gorgeous looking, muddled film that leaves you unmoved. But isn’t that the most important thing?

Jal Movie Review: 2/5 Stars. What’s Good: The enthralling cinematography and Purab Kohli. What’s Bad: The film...

The plot is quite muddled – It is not clear if the film is meant to be a personal story of Bakka,his love life, water crisis in Kutch or environmental protection. Even though the intentions were right, the execution leaves a lot to be desired.

The story is tropical and interesting; the execution of screenplay, not so much. Jal is constructed as the kind of expansive cinema that begged to be shot on pure film. Rather unfortunate, because Jal ends up as the kind of film that begged to be pure unadulterated cinema.

Jal could’ve worked phenomenally well had the art of filmmaking merged well with the story of it. However, with ample stress on beautifying the film than weaving a good plot around it, Jal ends up being an ambitious experiment that goes wrong.

All in all Jal is a stunning looking movie that fails spectacularly at telling an engaging story!

Jal is a simple story about human emotions and it is that simplicity which touches your heart. It is this rare quality that may get Jal, a film which did not generate too much buzz prior to its release this Friday, its niche audience.Girish showcases love, lust and thirst in a simply and beautifully woven story. If simple human emotions are your fill, you should certainly watch Jal.

…a beautiful-looking but largely unwatchable film, one that aspires to be a work of art but fails in some of the most basic aspects of filmmaking.