An interesting and at times affecting examination of perhaps the world's most intractable conflict. (i.e. I have less hope for peace between India/Pakistan than I do Israel/Iran) Film suffers from over the top acting and writing, though, with a decided bias in favor of the Secularists over the Muslims, the later of whom are petty much without exception portrayed as fanatics, sexists and bigots. Also, Saleem's conversion from average twenty year old kid to religious zealot makes Operation Warp Speed look like a birdwatching expedition. One minute he's all lovey dovey with his bride to be, the next he's snarling at her to stop enslaving him. This kind of head spinning, character change stuff is the hallmark of poor screenwriting. Film is on much firmer ground when it's dealing with the customs and quirks of Pakistani village life and how these mores are threatened when the Jihadists come to town. It's in these scenes as well as the early interaction between Saleem and his mom, a mixture of tension and affection, that director Sabiha Sumar shows her considerable talent. I hope to see more of her work. Give it a B.
Review of Silent Waters
