TROUBLE THE WATER — *** 1/2 — Documentary feature about Hurricane Katrina survivors; not rated, probable R (profanity, violence, slurs, drugs, vulgarity)

All "Trouble the Water" really needs to do to be effective is to show us one sequence — one in which a handful of Hurricane Katrina survivors return to their former neighborhood two weeks after the natural disaster destroyed lives and homes in New Orleans and Louisiana.

It's a brief scene, one that takes up maybe five minutes of the 90-minute-plus film. But it's filled with more dread, shock, horror and anticipation than anything many big-budgeted Hollywood films can muster in their entirety.

"Trouble the Water" is probably the best of the films made on the subject. That's because the film concentrates on a few specific stories rather than trying to provide a comprehensive examination of its subject matter.

The film looks at Katrina from the perspective of Kim Roberts, a would-be rap musician, who along with her husband, Scott, tried to "tough out" the tropical storm and remain in the couple's New Orleans home.

That became impossible, and they were forced to flee to outlying parts of Louisiana and later to Tennessee, once Hurricane Rita also slammed into the already-ravaged Gulf Coast.

The Robertses shot their own footage of their experiences during this time, using a camcorder. Co-producers/co-directors Carl Deal and Tia Lessin augment that with their own interviews and bits of other news reports.

Lessin and Deal worked with Michael Moore on both "Fahrenheit 9/11" and "Bowling for Columbine." But unlike their controversial mentor, they don't inject themselves into the story.

Instead, they concentrate efforts on the Robertses, who are both charismatic, relatable "characters" and are shown to be heroic, especially when they come to the aid of other stranded hurricane survivors.

And it's encouraging to see the poignant postscript, which catches up with the Robertses later. It's a happy ending for a story that desperately cries out for one.

"Trouble the Water" is not rated but would probably receive an R for some strong sexual language (profanity, slang terms and other suggestive talk), violent imagery (footage of natural disasters, including flooding), racial slurs and some derogatory language, and drug references (narcotics and methamphetamines). Running time: 96 minutes.

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E-mail: jeff@desnews.com