A Quickie Post

• Reelz Channel is already stirring up some Oscar Buzz for Before the Rains and the other films that will be premiering at the Toronto Film Festival:

  The Toronto Film Festival (TIFF), which takes place in September, is heralded as the beginning of the annual Oscar race. That is to say, studios often save up the films they think will be contenders to release in the fall (they don't trust the Academy's memory to reach back more than a few months come nomination time), and often debut said films at the TIFF. [...]

• At The Hindu, director and cinematographer Santosh Sivan addresses some of the difficulties involved in shooting a movie in Kerala and he briefly mentions Before the Rains.

  [...] Quizzed about his ongoing projects, Mr. Sivan said he had completed principal filming and post production for a Hollywood film ‘Before the Rains.’ Shot in Munnar, the film takes a look at life during the colonial era in 1937. “I have tried to maintain a flavour of Kerala in the film, which is all about human drama. The language is a mix of English and Malayalam,” he explained. ‘Before the Rains’ has been selected for the Toronto film festival in September this year. [...]

• DNA India has a short article about Rahul Bose, Jennifer Ehle's co-star in Before the Rains.

  His social initiatives definitely get more news coverage than his movies. However, that doesn’t mean his acting skills go unnoticed, at least not among the international movie buffs. While Time magazine may have given Rahul Bose the recognition as ‘the superstar of Indian art house cinema’, a South Asian Arts festival ‘Masala!Mehndi!Masti!’ in Toronto has a retrospective planned of the actor this year. “I have two kinds of reactions. Firstly, I was flattered by the recognition that I was receiving, complimenting me on the various genres of cinema that I have been associated with. Secondly, it was bit strange to get a retrospective at 39, which means it’s a warning that at the most I have five more years to go before I retire!” says Rahul laughing. [...]

• For Nostalgia's sake: Dennis Grunes has posted an in-depth review of Paradise Road, comparing it to other films such as Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun. Here is what he has to say about the cast:

  [...] The lead performance is also an asset; Glenn Close is excellent as Pargiter, an unpleasant person with an immense gift. Even better are Pauline Collins as Daisy “Margaret” Drummond, a missionary, and young Jennifer Ehle as Rosemary, the wife of a soldier, who recounts their courtship in one of the film’s most moving passages. [...]

• Finally, to fans of the other J. Ehle, Press 53 has announced that they are auctioning a limited edition signed collector's copy of John Ehle's The Land Breakers. See their blog entry for more details or go to the Press 53 website to place your bid.