Customer Reviews

Before the Rains

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Before the Rains" is a recently-released, Anglo-Indian film, set in South India during the waning days of the British colonial Raj; a lovely, evocative time and place that exerts a certain fascination, still; and has been looked at by a number of British films, and several --really slow-moving---films of the Merchant-Ivory film-making school. It's exquisite to look at, while actually boasting a plot that moves right along, and stars some gorgeous people giving us a passionate, moving story of a mature interracial love affair.

Linus Roache(Batman Begins ) stars as Henry Moores, an Englishman who's big in the spice trade: he's settled on an estate in India, and hopes to build a road that would enable him to greatly expand the productivity of his plantations. The beauteous Jennifer Ehle ( Pride and Prejudice - The Special Edition (A&E, 1996)), turns in a restrained performance as his wife Laura. Rahul Bose turns in a thoughtful performance as TK Neelan, a resident of the local village, caught between his respect for the past, and his hopes for a bright English-assisted future. The always reliable veteran John Standing is Charles Humphries, a grandee of the local expat English community. And the beautiful Nandita Das is stunning as Sajani,the servant who catches Moores' eye, with disastrous results for all concerned.

Add a star if you are a particular fan of the Raj; and, whatever you do, keep the tissues handy.

Beautiful scenery, an illicit love affair, a road being built up a mountain with the goal of growing spices, other than just tea. There is a lot to this movie and yet it is a not a complicated plot. An English grower is in India without his wife and falls for the beautiful house girl (played by the absolutely gorgeous and wonderful Nandita Das). The grower's wife shows up with their son and the house girl's husband finds out she is having an affair. Without spoiling the movie, it is enough to say that everyone pays a terrible price in the end for this affair. Some of the Merchant Ivory productions are slow and boring. This one keeps you wondering how it is going to turn out. The end is tragic, but there couldn't have been any other ending. The movie is a little slow in places, but never boring. Highly recommended.

I've now seen this film a couple of times in the theater. It is, hands down, one of the most beautiful and moving films I've seen in a long time. Linus Roach (of Law & Order is great) and Jennifer Ehle is one of my favorite actresses. A really great, film classic!!

"Before the Rains" is a sumptuous period drama set during the waning days of British imperialism in India. Most of the natives are clamoring for freedom from the colonialists yet the British carry on with their enterprises - one such enterprise is by Henry Moores [Linus Roache], a British tea planter who hopes to build a road to transport spices from the Indian state of Kerala. Moores is ably assisted by his loyal right-hand man TK [Rahul Bose] who tries to maintain a balance between two worlds, East and West, often precariously. Moores' family is back in England and from the beginning of the movie, viewers are made aware of his illicit affair with his beguiling maidservant, the married Sanjani [Nandita Das].

When a tryst between the two is discovered by two village kids, it sets off a calamitious chain of events - Moores' family [consisting of Jennifer Ehle as his wife and a young son] return only to find things have changed, Sanjani's brute of a husband tries to physically beat the truth out of her, and TK is stuck between his loyalty to Moores and his desire to do what is right. A tragic incident acts as a catalyst that propels the story towards its inevitable conclusion.

Some may feel the story is all too predictable - the 'evil' colonialist who takes advantage of the innocent local woman, the Indian assistant who wishes to straddle both worlds but finds himself not fully belonging to either one etc, but "Before the Rains" is more than that. Moores' character as played by Linus Roache does show traces of redemption, and neither is Nandita Das' Sanjani just a plain old gullible village woman. This is a woman who fully knows the repercussions of her actions and is altogether willing, albeit naive. TK as credibly portrayed by Rahul Bose shows us the inner conflict in a man who believes in unity between the colonialists and Indians, yet finds that in the end, he does need to make a choice - as his father tells him "No one gets lost on a straight road".

The cinematography is achingly beautiful [not surprising given that the director Santosh Sivan is a successful one himself] and the score is haunting -it captures the beauty of Kerala [which happens to be one of the most beautiful states in Southern India] in all its resplendent glory. All in all, I'd recommend this to those who love period dramas, and also fans of Merchant-Ivory productions.

Racial and sexual tensions run high in this tragic story of illicit love between a British planter and a village woman in 1937 India. Linus Roache is the planter who hopes to build a road before the Monsoon comes. Kandita Das is Sejani, the lovely servant woman in his house. She is married to a brutal man much older than she. He is married too - with a wife (Jennifer Ehle of Pride and Prejudice), and a young son who are visiting from England. The lovers drive into the jungle (the sacred grove) to make love. It's only a matter of time before Sejani is seen there with a man and her husband finds out.

Events start to tumble out of control as the villagers spike up their protests against British rule, which brings work on the new road to a stop. The native manservant, aware of the affair between the two lovers, becomes torn between two worlds - his own heritage and concern for Sejani - and the promise of greater prosperity in partnership with the British.

The photography is stunning in its scope and beauty of the wild, untamed jungles of Southern India and its intermittant sculpted tea plantations. An absolutely gripping tale, beautifully told!

Before the Rains is an enjoyable movie with everything going for it. Breathtaking visuals complimented with good acting and a strong storyline makes it a winner. There may be some scenes which wouldn't make much sense to a Western mind but I do think the movie is true to it's timeline of India before independence, the fragile Brit-Indian relationship and finally the endless superstitions some of which continue to prevail to this day.

This 2007 British film takes place in India in 1937. The rich landowner is having an affair with the servant woman. It all seems lovey dovey but when the wife returns, he sends her away. She is surprised because the landowner had told her he loved her. The landowner has a loyal Indian man working for him; he even gives him a gift of a gun. And when he sends the servant girl away, he depends on the servant man to see that she doesn't come back. What follows is a tragedy for all concerned.

The setting is done well. I really felt it depicted India well. The acting was also excellent. However, I found myself revolted by the behavior of the landowner. And the story got so boring that I actually fell asleep. I cannot recommend this film at all.

Like so many of the films shot in India, the atmospheric photography is absolutely mezmorizing. The main characters are introduced and their relationship is obvious, at least to everyone except perhaps, his wife.

A magnificent British Colonial plantation is the main setting, but it's during a rough period of time because of the Indian Government nationalizing foreigh-owned businesses and property.

Personally, I would do anything (and I do mean anything) that Linus Roache wanted me to do, so even though the girlfriend really wasn't the goodie-goodie she seemed to be, I still would have made a deal with El Diablo to have been in her position(s) <TIC>

The intensity of all the Actors with individual agendas made this film a raging excitement from minute one (1) till the end credits rolling.

Good work Folks!!!

Emotionally charged story about British expatriate living in Southern India in his search of riches. It is 1930s and British are moving on from exporting tea from India to exporting spices: pepper, cinnamon and cardamom. Away from his wife and child, this lonely British landowner has a love affair with his servant, beautiful Indian woman from a local village. But this is a forbidden affair as the woman is married and cheating on her husband has great consequences on all involved in the affair.

Without disclosing more, the love and life in paradise, turns into a tragedy of gigantic proportions. Young woman dies, her village tribe seeks revenge for her loss of life; British landowner looses everything: his family, his money, his future.

Interesting meditation on different times in India when locals were seeking independence from the British rule. Cultural differences are so vast that until it is too late neither side understands the other. It is also a story that tells us that all actions have their consequences. Some of them affect us personally, the others affect the ones closest to us. Self-gratification leads to tragedy regardless of one's cultural background.

Before the Rains was definitely a disappointment. The opening scenes begin with the leading characters in an adulterous affair. In the next scene the couple take off to go look for honey in the nearby wooded area and are discovered making love in a sacred pool. From this point on, the two lovers are telling lies to cover up this forbidden affair and lastly a death. I would not recommend the romantic at heart to buy this movie.