Dhobi Ghat (EOTWS)

End Of The Week Shorts #36 extract: Dhobi Ghat (2011)

Pleasantly captivating, Dhobi Ghat is a film that explores abstract, fleeting and recurrent relationships in conjuncture with art (and so this film has some ties to Aamir Khan's Taare Zameen Par). 

Whilst this is structured and shot beautifully, there are many weak figures that lessen the quality of this narrative with both their presence and performances. Moreover, even in the main roles, we find weaknesses in character construction. Because of sometimes shaky writing and acting, the poetic nature of this film then fluctuates between being genuine and seeming rather empty. So, despite the fact that I was fully immersed in this narrative and was struck by some intimate sequences, I can't help but note the faults in this film. Imperfect, but watchable.