Review of Patang

A sweet, simple and beautifully shot film set in India, it tells the story of an extended family during the yearly Ahmedabad kite festival. As stunning shots of the sky filled with kites remind us of the bigger picture, we watch what happens when a well to do uncle and his sexy, smart daughter come to visit from the big city of Delhi. The awkward warmth between these comparative strangers and their kin makes for a lot of gentle, quiet drama, and occasional comedy.

It's one of those films where not much happens, yet we get to know (and like) the characters intimately, and somehow there's enough dramatic tension (and humor) in the small moments of anger or connection, or understandings made or missed that it never feels dull. It almost has an Altmanesque feeling in the way it cuts between it's multiple stories, but Bhargava doesn't have Altman's satiric edge. He isn't making fun of these characters, even when they're funny – intentionally or unintentionally.

A good-hearted, feel good film, that manages to be honest, and to avoid the saccharine after-taste those kind of phrases usually suggest (and usually send me running the other way)

Frustratingly, as of the moment it's only available for downloading or streaming. A blu-ray of this would be wonderful.