Waterborne (2005) User Reviews (16)

Them Crazy Yanks!!!!

[Dan_Finn · 6/10 · 17 February 2006]

Not a bad movie overall, very B-moveish the colour was terrible and camera wouldn't stay still! The plot raised some interesting points and showed some good character motivation. However a lot of things that were going on didn't have much to do with anything e.g. the lad beating up his mate, it wasn't anything to do with the water, but a comment about him being a mummies boy, we later find out his mother killed herself (who cares what did it have to do with the rest of the story?). Also why was the guy out of Malcolm in the middle at the Sikh ceremony at the end wearing a bandanna?

The interracial relationship was interesting but i don't think British audiences will get what the fuss is considering there's about 7 million Sikhs, Indians and Pakhistani's here (about 10% of the population). And i didn't even realise the soldiers wife was mixed until i read someone else's comment about it!

I do have a few cultural questions about the American social structure -

Why did the soldier feel he had to shoot the guy in the truck when his life wasn't in danger (more gun hoe tactics)?

Why did the soldier hate the people who were trying to take some water from the aqueduct so much?

Why did the soldier think that he would be of benefit in Iraq after he had made racist comments at the start of the film, killed someone for no good reason, and scared some thirsty hillbillies senseless?

Why if only 23 people had died in the whole of LA (considering everyone must have drank the water) did the entire population of the city go mental and start acting like scared paranoid idiots?

Why didn't anyone just go to a Pepsi machine?

why weren't more people being supplied with water, it seems strange that the government would issue a statement saying not to drink the water then not supply enough to the population (is this a real concern in America?).

Why did the other soldier shoot the lad at the end instead of attempting talking him down?

If this is how Americans act in Iraq then no wonder the British have lost so many soldiers to friendly fire!

This film i think showed a lot about American social culture, how easily the people become scared of something relatively small, how racially segregated they are, and how that fear and misunderstanding of other people leads them into shooting or assaulting everything that moves! more people died from acting crazy and not drinking the water than if they had carried on drinking the actual water.

They should make an English version where nobody cares, they all sit around drinking tea made with water the government has supplied, or drinking in the pub, or probably just still drink the so called contaminated water, then three days later its over nobody's been shot and the bad guys been caught.

Having lived in a town without water for 30 days before...

[Blondmyk · 6/10 · 24 October 2006]

"Waterbourne" had a lot of potential, and it's really a shame that someone with the cash didn't pick it up and make it properly. It deals with the fears and absolute terror that come when one is deprived of one of the very necessities of life...water, and the desperate things that one will do in order to survive. As one reviewer has said before, it's like a cross between "Crash", and another disaster movie like "Earthquake" or something else equally earth-shattering.

I lived through 30 days of no water during the floods of 1993 here in the Midwest of the United States (Des Moines, IA), and this film probably comes closest to demonstrating the fear that was experienced by many people during the first 24-48 hours after we realized that our water supply for a city this size was shot. Luckily for us, we didn't experience a situation like "Waterbourne" displayed for us. Our people pulled together, and worked together. We gained strength from our situation. This, unfortunately wasn't an aspect shown in this film.

Not a bad movie, but not a great movie either. As previously stated by another reviewer, the camera work is very rough. It's definitely a thinking persons movie though...very dark and foreboding, so if you enjoy that type of movie then this is the one for you! I wouldn't recommend this for any person with psychological difficulties or anyone seriously disturbed by thoughts of terrorism. It has the potential to mess with your mind.

it's kinda like crash, but with a little terrorism...

[viciousdeath · 5/10 · 23 February 2006]

If you saw crash this movie will remind you of that (the way the main characters were connected, and the minority middle eastern guy getting his store robbed). I also thought that some of the edit work looked like Traffic. This movie has a lot of rough-spots which a little more work could've helped out a lot. You will not feel anything for any of the characters because their stories seem generic, that's not to say this film was formulaic although some parts do seem to mimic Crash. The soundtrack sounded decent except for its placement, there's this one sappy tune that plays for what seems like an eternity. One poster noted that the acting felt "wooden" and I couldn't have put it better.

*Possible Spoilers* Now for the good points. In this post 9/11 era, domestic terrorism hasn't gotten that much attention which this movie brings in it's own form. Although this movie went for realism, the use of derogatory by the younger army officer did seem a bit forced as well as the guy who burst in anger for not getting all his water. The whole racism thing could've been better but at least they didn't butcher it that much. Another poster suggested that this movie brings attention concerning security with water supply, but in effect this could also be taken to mean any kind of bio-chem attack.

Overall, this movie was half good half bad. It had its moments and almost as if on purpose right after something that made no sense.

Take the Water and People Turn into Animals

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 24 September 2013]

In Los Angeles, the authorities find that the tap water is contaminated due to a terrorist attack after the death of eight dwellers. The military Ritter (Jon Gries) leaves his wife Jasmine (Lindsay Price) and his daughter at home to patrol the dam with the bigoted and stressed soldier Carlton (Chris Berry). The Sikh matriarch Heera Bhatti (Shabana Azmi), who has a convenience store, increases the price of bottled water and limits the sell to two units per person. Her son Vikram Bhatti (Ajay Naidu) that works with her is not comfortable with her decision. When his Caucasian girlfriend Lillian "Lilly" (Mageina Tovah) visits him at the store, his mother gives a cold reception to her. Meanwhile the local Zach (Christopher Masterson) decides to visit his father with his cousin Bodi (Jake Muxworthy), who is a reckless and unbalanced person. However his father does not accept the Zach brings Bodi and they go to the trailer of Bodi's friend Donovan (Noah Segan). Along the three next days, their lives are entwined with tragic consequences in a environment of violence and despair.

"Waterborne" is an indie movie with an interesting idea of the behavior of people without water. The story shows prejudice everywhere and the conclusion is simple: take the water and people turn into animals, guided by the sense of survival and prejudice.

The direction and the acting are convincing; the screenplay could have been improved but is not bad; the music score contributes with the movie. Unfortunately the camera work and the lighting are very poor. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Estado de Alerta" ("State of Alert")

pathetic fear-mongering

[eadverts · 1/10 · 20 February 2006]

It was obvious pretty early on that this was going to be an anti-racist polemic with an alternate America view and a typical "Surprise" outcome. Supposed to turn your world view upside down!!!! Heavy man!!! This movie might be good for a younger crowd with little or no real world experience but for anyone with a world view larger than their backyard, it was simply an exercise in the mental masturbation of fear-mongering at a pretty low level.

On the bright side Mageina Tovah is very HOT, fun to look at and a pretty good actress too. Also, where else are you going to see Patrick Swayze's younger, hipper brother, Don?

Good film, lousy camera work

[leiser18 · 6/10 · 16 December 2005]

WATERBORNE is an interesting movie, the plot is good and the acting is okay, too. But, the camera work/cinematography leaves a lot to be desired. Sometimes you see only half a face of the actor/actress or the camera moves too much up and down. I felt as if I was watching a home movie. It really bothered me. The music, of course, is another topic. If you like that kind of noise, then it's fine. I wouldn't call it music, though. I am not trying to be overly critical because the movie deserves praise for its content and scriptwriting. If it comes out on DVD, I would definitely recommend it so any viewer can make up their own mind about.

Rather cheap movie.

[Extinctive · 5/10 · 19 February 2006]

The only positive thing about this movie is the sound-track. The music and audio-mixing was superb and saved some of the bad. The camera work wanted to bring us deep inside the characters, but failed at that completely. Bunch of wanna-be politically correct towel-head scenes without a clear purpose. The lighting and cinematography seemed to want to stress heat and unrest onto the viewer, but was mostly annoying and tried to do it all way too fast. The story's concept of linking danger to water-use promised much more than it ended up giving.

The movie also proves that smokers, power-eager males and stupid people (basically all the same anyway) will ruin everything for humanity in a crisis situation. It tells us that stupid men can't think before they act, and stupid people will behave like animals when it comes down to it. I really disliked what the voice-over was pushing to the viewer; that we would ALL just be animals again. Please, let him speak for himself, because really: No, we would not. He and especially his junkie 'friend' would, most of us wouldn't. Stupid idiots will go around raping, looting and fighting each other over nothing. Smart reasonable people will try and find ways out of it, save others from possible water shortages, look for ways to survive the crisis. And yes, they will still behave civilized under pressures like that. I found this movie was missing that. It is made from the assumption that men are ALL idiots and uncontrollable yelling fools again, while they're not. Not all men are like that. Probably the writer isn't that smart himself, he can't imagine intelligent and sensible people exist out there.

This movie should have lasted at least an hour longer, the ending suddenly bumped in as if the writer didn't know how to make something out of it. Basically, this is a movie by and for stupid people. There was nobody to really identify with.

Not As Bad As The Cover Implies

[holly-brown2 · 7/10 · 28 August 2011]

The concept alone is good. And believable, with water resources experiencing an ever growing demand and so becoming a more likely target for attack. Although the story seems to jump between different messages it does come together well and particular praise must go to how the film hints at human nature.

This movie makes you think, not because of the complexity of the storyline. Everything is pretty straight forward, but it puts your mind into the situation the characters are experiencing, makes you wonder how you would react and in some manner makes you more weary of water supply. What would we do if we no longer had access to something as simple as drinking water? I must point out, the reason it is not as bad as the cover implies? It IS exactly what it says on the cover but what it says on the cover isn't very much. The cover (in the UK anyway) gives the impression of a very low budget, badly scripted plot, but we know we shouldn't judge by the cover right? Apart from jerky filming, and yes a lot of close ups, it's not too bad at all. Definitely worth the watch, just expect less suspense and more pondering.

Extremely clever indie flick

[jharrow · 9/10 · 17 March 2005]

I saw the World Premiere of "Waterborne" at South by Southwest, and it is compelling both as an examination of what would happen if Los Angelos came under biological attack and as a human drama. The acting is excellent, the music is original and works perfectly, and the direction is right-on for this kind of film. This movie ought to get released; it does a better job than any big Hollywood movie ever could at dealing with the true terror that a contaminated water supply could bring about.

The story is told through the eyes of a few different characters, all of whom are at a point in their lives where a widespread panic allows some hidden anxieties to show. The dialogue is authentic and the characters are excellent and varied. I especially enjoyed the multi-cultural flair of the film - in too many of these kinds of movies, the people affected are cultural stereotypes, but "Waterborne" plays with that notion to fine effect. Indeed, the LA in "Waterborne" - like the one in the real world - is populated by Sikhs finding their place post -9/11 and clashing with older generations, military officers with a conscience who marry outside of their race, and middle-class twenty-somethings dealing with a scary world. "Waterborne" actually creates multi-layered characters and shows how many things that seethe under the surface will bubble up in a time of terror and panic.

At the South by Southwest screening, the producers gave out free bottles of water, and needless to say the entire audience looked at the bottles differently after the movie was over. If you get a chance to see this, take advantage: it's a very cool film.

Thought provoking and powerful

[chalcedonydream · 8/10 · 9 April 2016]

I thought this was an interesting and powerful depiction of what could happen in such a situation from 3 different perspectives that then come together at the climax. Unlike some, I thought the dialogue and direction was very good and the cinematography pretty good for a low budget indie film.

Most of the cast gave convincing performances that had me drawn into their dilemmas with them. I was especially moved by Christopher Berry's scene with his senior officer after he had shot unarmed youth for stealing water. This actor deserves a lot more recognition and prominent roles than he has received thus far in his career.

I felt this film overall was an intriguing and thought provoking film with a fresh approach to a fairly regular theme. Personally, I think the film actually benefited from not having an 'A' list star who would be expected to swoop in and automatically save the day.

Timely, Provocative

[mysticwit · 9/10 · 28 March 2005]

The impact of current paranoia about domestic terrorist threats are brought home in an provocative story that plays out in a Los Angeles neighborhood when it's discovered that someone has contaminated the water.

Screenwriter/Director Ben Rekhi articulately features differing points of view from disparate characters who eventually intersect as they all struggle with the reality of the lack of water. There are no clichés in this story, which is filled with fully realized characters and some excellent moments as characters face their fears, and the consequences of their actions.

Don't let the fact that Waterborne only received a second runner up audience award at SXSW fool you. The SXSW program this year was full of excellent films that showcased the power of independent film making, and considering Hooligans, arguably the most anticipated world premiere at SXSW '05, the fact that Waterborne placed with an audience award is telling.

Waterborne is a memorable film that deserves a wide audience.

Excellent movie/music

[Applejacksap · 10/10 · 22 October 2005]

I just saw Waterborne about 20 minutes ago at the Tallgrass Film Festival in Wichita, KS. I was drawn to the movie because I heard that Dredg (most awesome band practically ever; not a bold statement at all) composed the score. The movie and the music blew me away. So many emotional elements was encompassed. I thought that Ben Rekhi did a great job targeting instinctual drives, discrimination, love, ethical dilemmas, religion, morals and more. Awesome movie!!!! I'd totally watch this again on the big screen. Dredg's music was awesome too. I loved when Dredg's powerfulness was blaring during the night of the first day (I don't feel that I'm being a spoiler by saying this). That was my favorite instrumental moment; very awesome. Now I'm ready for the DVD/soundtrack to come out. A+++++++++++++++++

I felt this film should have been in more in the realm of a documentary type of film. That delves into the fear from the 911 disaster

[chucktum · 10/10 · 25 August 2006]

I, as a witness to the world Trade disaster. I felt very emotionally evolved in this film. I guess I didn't notice the cinematography problems some have commented on. I saw the reality of what can manifest out of the suspicion of innocent people just because they look and act in a different way than most of us expect. As Americans we hardly look inside of ourselves, Perhaps the reality of one of us harming innocent people is hard to except. So we force the blame on what we do not understand about others and strike out against them.I Feel this film is entirely underrated. It should be seen by all of us as Americans. We have to realize that there is good and bad in all. I don't understand why we expect the bad before all.

Crash 2 !!

[MaDsKiLz69 · 9/10 · 4 March 2006]

If you enjoyed crash you will undoubtedly enjoy this. Similar story - similar structure - similar music.

If your into films in any way you'll appreciate the that the final cut of this movie was made on a very small budget, but gives the feel of a much bigger movie. There is a believably tense atmosphere throughout the movie which is further drove into your being by the excellent music (very similar to crash).

The running time is short - but leaves you feeling as though you've seen a lot more.

The film is a character based one and is driven along by some pretty good acting. But the film is really too short for any of the leads to really stretch there acting skills.

The main guy is actually the oldest brother from "malcolm in the middle" and after watching this I hope he gets more work in the future.

A very good film overall - My buddy thought it was super sweet.

Who am i to disagree!!!!!!!!!!!! WATCH!!!!!!!!!!!!

28 days later, with soldiers and all

[tlrogers · 8/10 · 1 July 2006]

okay, the soldiers don't behave at all like those in 28 days later. But there is a dread disease situation, lawlessness, violence, and surprising tenderness. It was a good film and I was touched by the characters' growth. Further, I liked the slippery way of shooting the scenes, especially the traveling scenes. The use of flashback was nicely done, also.

The three groups of people the film follows are two cousins who are living together in an apartment, a mother and son and the son's girlfriend, and an IT guy who is also a National Guardsman, with his wife and daughter. The mother owns a small grocery store. The groups of characters interact at various points in the movie, as in the more famous "Crash". Sure, "Crash" won best picture, but this film is almost as good. Each group of characters has its own internal conflict as well as the general conflict they all share: what to do about the lack of clean water. I recommend this film for those who are interested in disaster films.