Acting honours go to Bose, his face an eloquently shifting register of shame, calculation and sympathy.
Before the Rains (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:61
Fresh:29
Rotten:32
Average Rating:5.2/10
Consensus: While lushly photographed and politically suggestive, this soapy melodrama lacks emotional resonance.
Theatrical Release:25-07-2008
Synopsis: Forbidden romance, empire, and culture clash all lie at the heart of this drama. In 1930s India, Britain's reign is beginning to lose its hold on the region. In the midst of this turmoil, a British... Forbidden romance, empire, and culture clash all lie at the heart of this drama. In 1930s India, Britain's reign is beginning to lose its hold on the region. In the midst of this turmoil, a British man (Linus Roache) embarks on an affair with an Indian woman (Nandita Das), while one of the men in the village (Rahul Bose) tries to quell his inner struggle. Santosh Sivan (ASOKA) directs this film that is presented by Merchant Ivory, the renowned force behind HOWARD'S END and THE REMAINS OF THE DAY. [More]
Starring: Linus Roache, Rahul Bose, Nandita Das, Jennifer Ehle
Starring: Linus Roache, Rahul Bose, Nandita Das, Jennifer Ehle, John Standing
Director: Santosh Sivan
Director: Santosh Sivan
Screenwriter: Cathy Rabin
Producer: Doug Mankoff, Andrew Spaulding, Paul Hardart, Tom Hardart, Mark Burton
Composer: Mark Kilian
Studio: Roadside Attractions
Reviews for Before the Rains
Feels as though it should be a compelling drama, yet it somehow simmers along rather frustratingly with only a couple of moments of genuine tension.
The movie is prettily done in a fairly obvious way, but there's little insight into the emerging nationalist movement, which remains at best a shimmering backdrop in soft focus.
The film is fervently acted and well shot, and Das provides a powerful, emotional force, but there is something a little clanky about the whole project...
In another age this Merchant Ivory production would have led the week's reviews. Now it'll be lost to all the superheroes.
Given the racy subject matter, this is an oddly chaste and ultimately underwhelming affair, but it's beautifully shot and the performances ensure that it remains watchable.
While the characters sometimes feel roughly drawn, the casting is spot on.
Overly familiar material is handled with enough skill and conviction by Indian director Santosh Sivan to create a quietly compelling drama.
Has the moral overtones of an EM Forster story, but is curiously lacking in emotional force.
While not without its merits (the performances of Jennifer Ehle and Rahul Bose are particular highlights), Before the Rains ultimately suffers from a downpour of melodrama.
The film certainly looks beautiful as it captures the lush beauty of its mountainous, green Indian landscape, but acclaimed cinematographer turned director Santosh Sivan is only partially successful when it comes to the storytelling
Exquisitely photographed but emotionally overwrought and ultimately tedious.
Here is a movie that the late Ismail Merchant would have been happy to have under the Merchant-Ivory banner. James Ivory is very much alive and working, and one assumes he approves as well.
An unremarkable story beautifully told, and should appeal to the legion of Merchant Ivory fans out there.
Latest News for Before the Rains
May 08, 2008:
Santosh Sivan Goes Home Before the Rains ![]()
For Before the Rains, his English-language directorial debut, cinematographer Santosh Sivan went back to his roots -- specifically Kerala, a state on the coast of southwestern... More...
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