Rains DVD (Sept) / Pride and Glory (Oct)

Before the Rains

The Edinburgh International Film Festival ends today, but not before Rains is (interestingly) shown again at 2pm this afternoon. The picture of Mr Roache and Mr Sivan to your right is one of five taken on the red carpet on June 19.

The film festival rounds are not finished yet however. Cineasie report that Before the Rains will be appearing at the 29th Durban International Film Festival (another DIFF!) in South Africa, from July 29 to August 3.

HiDefDvd.com meanwhile are allowing pre-orders of the film on DVD which will be released September 16. Alternatively see Amazon (incidentally another place where you can download the aforementioned soundtrack).

Reviews-wise today:

It's three stars from Robert W. Butler of the Kansas City Star:

[...] [An] often compelling look at life in the waning days of the Raj. ... Before the Rains isn’t in the same league as Sivan’s earlier film, 1999’s “The Terrorist,” ... This time around the political subtext is far from subtle. But it’s well-acted and beautifully photographed while nicely capturing the extremes of life in a colonial atmosphere. [...]

A more disappointed Rob Thomas of The Capital Times gives a considered 2.5 whilst acknowledging the film's plus points:

[...] As we see them rolling around and groping in the "sacred grove," it all seems a little overwrought, possibly because the film starts when they're already well into their affair, rather than showing it build in intensity. [...]

But:

[...] The scenery is flat-out spectacular, and Sivan...is very skilled at giving the viewer the sense that this really is a world, not just a series of pretty postcards. The performances are also strong... [...]

For more thoughts see Bill Thompson of The Post and Courier.

Pride and Glory

It's excellent news on the Pride and Glory front - after previously being pushed back, the film has now been brought forward. As Jeffrey Wells from Hollywood Elsewhere explains:

[...] Gavin O'Connor's Pride and Glory is finally out of the distribution woods. Former New Line honcho Bob Shaye's decision early this year to bump this exceptional New York cop film into '09 is now null and void with Warner Bros. having just slotted a 10.24.08 release. [...]

He adds, 'it's an exceptional film ... and never should have been bumped in the first place.' See also the Hollywood Stock Exchange and Coming Soon. There is also substantiation from cast member Jon Voight (see Collider). The film's official site have yet to emblazon the new date in big numbers, as do IMDb.

Rosemary Harris

• An interview by PopSugar this week with Courteney Cox Arquette and her husband, included the following:

[...] On what's coming next: Courteney: "I just directed a short with Laura Dern and Rosemary Harris for Glamour magazine."David: "It's beautiful, it's incredible —" [...]

There are no clues yet as to what this might be, but we will of course let you know if we find out.

• Meanwhile, Mark Orton of the Otago Daily Times praises last year's Before the Devil Knows You're Dead:

[...] [The film] is pretty much as good as modern cinema gets. [It] is a dark brooding meditation on relationships, delivered to excellence by some heavyweight talent. Not quite perfect, but not far from it. [...]

For the eyes and the ears

Before the Rains music

• To the right is the CD cover art for the Before the Rains soundtrack. Same as the poster, but still tres jolie, no?
  


• Below is the official press release for the soundtrack from earlier this month. A reminder that you can buy Mark Kilian's music in stores from next month (presumably US only) or via iTunes now. To see what you are missing, visit the official Before the Rains site to hear a GORGEOUS sample. (It should start playing automatically.)

[...] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LAKESHORE RECORDS TO RELEASE SOUNDTRACK FOR THE FILM BEFORE THE RAINS, COMPOSED BY MARK KILIAN

"Unforgettable... a hothouse of sensuality, empire, class and guilt" – Mira Nair

(June 5, 2008- Los Angeles, CA) – Lakeshore Records will release the soundtrack for BEFORE THE RAINS will be available via iTunes on June 3 and in stores on July 22. The soundtrack contains original music composed by Mark Kilian. The film was an official selection of the Toronto International Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival.

The South African-born Kilian came to the United States to attend the University of Southern California’s graduate program in Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television. After leaving USC he began working for film composer Christopher Young where he worked as the composer’s assistant and electronic score producer for many films including SPECIES, COPYCAT, VIRTUOSITY, and HARD RAIN. He scored his first film LOVERGIRL in 1997 and would continue on to write for many feature films and TV series including KING SOLOMON’S MINES, THE ANIMATRIX, and JAKE IN PROGRESS.

In 2004 Kilian would return to South Africa to score the Oscar®-winning film TSOTSI. He then scored director Gavin Hood’s next film RENDITION, traveling to Morocco and South Africa for research and to record. The ability to blend world music, particularly South African, with modern classical and electronica has helped Kilian to carve out a niche in the film music industry. For BEFORE THE RAINS, Kilian traveled to India where he worked with many of the top musicians in the country including the legendary Indian percussionist, Sivamani.

Set in 1930s southern India against the backdrop of a growing nationalist movement, BEFORE THE RAINS is the English language debut of acclaimed Indian director Santosh Sivan (THE TERRORIST, ASOKA). An idealistic young Indian man (Rahul Bose) finds himself torn between his ambitions for the future and his loyalty to the past when people in his village learn of an affair between his British boss (Linus Roache) and a village woman (Nandita Das). 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.

Merchant Ivory presents BEFORE THE RAINS, which opened in New York and Los Angeles on May 9, 2008 and in select cities on May 16, 2008. BEFORE THE RAINS original soundtrack on Lakeshore Records will be available via iTunes on June 3 and in stores on July 22. [...]

What are you waiting for?!

The Coast of Utopia

• Courtesy of Tez, we also now have access to Tom Stoppard's conference at Stanford University from May, held to celebrate and compare the Moscow and New York productions of The Coast of Utopia. The first two links are video files; the latter two audio, and they will be available from the addresses below for a month until a permanent site is created. (They will take a while to download, but it is well worth it. Goodies include words from Jack O'Brien and clips from the Russian production.) Enjoy!

Roundtable – May 22 (mov files) - Part 1, Part 2

Symposium - May 23 (mp3 files) - (Unfortunately Session 1 is currently not working) Session 2, Session 3

Thoughts and musings

• Alison Rowat has some words about Before the Rains to supplement her previous recommendation. She does acknowledge however that the film might not suit everyone's tastes:

[...] Sumptuous photography, sun setting over the British Empire...it barely needs the name in the credits to identify Santosh Sivan's...drama as part of Merchant Ivory's stable. ... There are nicely judged performances from Das and Bose. ... Fine if Merchant Ivory style is your cup of Darjeeling [...]

• The Charleston City Paper are a little less polite in their analysis.
  
  
• Blog-wise the reception today is more favourable. He Said, She Said detail the character of Laura Moores:

[...] Laura Moores, played by Jennifer Ehle brings her love and devotion and the warning that her father thinks her a fool for trusting her life to a man such as Moores. Moores takes all of this with good humor, but it is clear the pressure is building. His wife has no reason to suspect that Moores is anything but committed to her and their future. In fact, she befriends Sajani and compliments her for taking such good care of her husband and house in her absence. [...]

Evaluation-wise, they conclude:

[...] The style of this film is typical Merchant Ivory. Filmed with rich and colorful scenes where the camera lingers just long enough to pass on the flavor of the setting without making it anything more than the spice in the stew. Roache and company do a superb job of making these people come to life and compel us to know them and what they are all about. In the vin of "Painted Veil", this cautionary tale about the clash of civilizations is most note worthy for its respect for the cultures involved and an evenhanded judgement of the times. [...]

Another blogger briefly describes the film as 'great', while yet another contemplates viewing the film for one particular reason:

[...] I may go to see Before the Rains later. Jennifer Ehle is in it! [...]

Bucolic grace and paradisiacal landscapes

• Both Santosh Sivan and Linus Roache attended the Edinburgh International Film Festival for the screenings of Before the Rains. See Wireimage for the above photos and others from the photo call on June 19. Times Online also mention that Nandita Das is in Britain promoting the film.

Reviews thus far from the Scottish capital are as follows:

• Dear Cinema give largely a narrative but find the film 'gripping'. As we have seen previously, the visuals are afforded the most praise:

[...] Opening with stunning shots of his Kerala locations - lush green hills, emerging from wisps of morning mist - Before the Rains is testament to Sivan’s background as cinematographer ... But the breathtaking visuals are grounded in narrative: from the sensual, fecund jungle hideaway that is the location for Moores’ and Sanjani’s love-making to the ominous torch-lit procession that enraged locals make for a climactic showdown with T.K., landscape and climate are deftly expressive of emotional mood. [...]

• Eva Hoffman from Montage offers a short but sweet appraisal:

[...] It is a stunningly beautiful film simultaneously lush and precise. Be it the clash of two cultures, betrayal among friends, greed, cowardice, disappointment, honesty, redemption or love; like a painting it tells the greatest and smallest stories on a single canvas. [...]

• Future Movies mention multiple positives, but always succeed them with the word 'but':

[...] Director Santosh Sivan constructs the story’s context very well; there is a great sense of place due to some gorgeous cinematography, and several good scenes effectively convey the political and social unrest of the era. But the story itself never comes alive ... There is one very good scene in which the central twist occurs, and it feels for a moment like the film is about to spring to life. But alas, it is one highlight in an otherwise ... conventional drama. [...]

Thoughts from further afield meanwhile are continuing to trickle in:

• Frank Gabrenya of The Columbus Dispatch is not without criticism, but still says:

[...] Before the Rains is a handsome but conventional melodrama presented by the Merchant-Ivory group...Sivan provides superb cinematography of lush hillsides, sumptuous waterfalls and nature filmed in extreme close-up. [...]

• Philip Marchand of The Star similarly says 'India has rarely looked so beautiful onscreen'. He also highly praises Sivan's work as a director:

[...] Sivan, a director who was raised in Kerala, does not stop to brood or moralize... In this well-paced movie he simply allows events to unfold according to an iron logic. That logic leads us to a conclusion that satisfies us with its sense of inevitability, something rare in current movies. [...]

• Liz Braun of the Toronto Sun adds to the love of the visuals and sees them as a facade in front of greater depth:

[...] The film shows some of the breathtakingly beautiful countryside in the remote area of Kerala; that and the cinematography make this one a treat to look at. But Before the Rains is not some dreamy costume epic about the Raj ... Don't be deceived by pretty pictures. Before the Rains has a whiff of the thriller about it. [...]

• Vanessa Farquharson of the National Post again praises the cinematography and papers over problems to give an optimistic outlook overall:

[...] Director Santosh Sivan and the film's editors nicely parallel the increasingly hot, stifling environment of southern India with the claustrophobic turmoil of the characters' lives ... But where the cinematography achieves bucolic grace with simple shots of a naturally stunning landscape [...]

[...] Aside from a few ... uninspiring plot developments and character tropes ... Before the Rains makes a concerted effort to offer something that feels real, and it succeeds on most levels. The road to original cinema isn't a smooth one, so Sivan at least deserves credit for avoiding as many bumps and potholes as possible. [...]

• Indy Week's paragraph meanwhile is concise but complimentary:

[...] Director Santosh Sivan's sumptuous cinematography in the south Indian region of Kerala is a lush invitation to enter a paradisiacal landscape, and also emphasizes the gloomy plot's heavy-handed symbolism of winding roads and drenching rains. Bose and Das, both stellar Indian art film veterans, excel as individuals caught between the millstones of tradition and modernity. [...]

• The only bad truffle today is The Globe and Mail, who claim that in Rains, Sivan has made all the mistakes he avoided in his earlier work, The Terrorist.
• There are also now comments from the Lake Placid Film Forum which took place earlier this month. Lake Placid News reports:

[...] Attendee’s responses to the forum on Friday night was positive. “I really like the selection [this year],” said Saranac Lake resident Richard Maid, who has been coming to the forum since it was founded. “It looks like a good variety. I saw ‘Before the Rains’ last night and I thought it was really excellent. It was absolutely an intimate movie.” [...]

• From the public sector, academics Ellen and Jim think deeply about the film, beginning as follows:

[...] Before the Rains is not specifically a womens’ film, but the angle from which we see the tragedy unfold and its victim is that of two women. [...]

• Secondly, it is a big thumbs up from the unfortunately named FilmVomit:

[...] Santosh Sivan has made an almost note-perfect entry into the ever-growing compendium of third cinema inspections of the source and subversion of imperialist power in colonial states. ... Sivan as a cinematographer is superb. ... The film is sumptuous and elegant - quite simply, utterly beautiful. [...]

In other news:

• For those who are interested, the Toronto Sun find out where Rains star Linus Roache got his acting bug from.
  
• Thank you to Janet for drawing our attention to Barbara Hoffman of the New York Post's piece on the Theatre World Awards. Her discussion on past recipients includes a particular two people:

[...] For Rosemary Harris, the giving was even sweeter. She won her award in 1952 and presented another - nearly half a century later - to her daughter, Jennifer Ehle. "All I could do was say, 'Here,' and give her a hug," says the woman best known these days as Spider-Man's Aunt Mae. [sic] "Most people get carried away, because they love it so. It's the first affirmation you receive from your peers that you're on the right track - that your parents won't ask, 'What have you got as backup?' "

All Ehle remembers was that she and her mom were both up for a Tony that year (2000), and when "the 14 millionth person in a month" asked her how that felt, she burst into tears. "So there I was, crying with my mother, and
she stood up and gave me this lovely thing." [...]

That's all for today folks. Apologies for the lateness!

Not to be

• The Donmar Warehouse have just announced that Jennifer Ehle will NOT be appearing in this autumn's production of Ivanov. The role of Anna will instead be played by actress Gina McKee. The official press release, accessible via the above link says as follows:

[...] FULL CAST ANNOUNCED FOR IVANOV AS DONMAR WEST END SEASON IS LAUNCHED AT THE WYNDHAM’S THEATRE ...

Kenneth Branagh will be joined by John Atterbury, Lucy Briers, Linda Broughton, Lorcan Cranitch, Tom Hiddleston, Sylvestra Le Touzel, Gina McKee, Kevin R McNally, Andrea Riseborough, Malcolm Sinclair and James Tucker in Ivanov, the first production in the Donmar’s West End year-long residency at the Wyndham’s Theatre. The production opens on 17 September with previews from 12 September and runs until 29 November. As previously announced, the season will play on Tuesdays through to Sundays. [...]

Hamlet / The EIFF

Hamlet

• Yesterday evening was the opening night of Shakespeare in the Park's Hamlet. Ms Ehle (described by Brian Scott Lipton as 'lovely') attended as did former Utopian Ethan Hawke, while David Harbour was among the cast. The above photos constitute the majority from Getty Images. (See Wireimage and Theatermania for gorgeous variations on a theme.) For more about the production, visit the Public Theater's website.

Before the Rains at the EIFF

• Secondly, the 62nd Edinburgh International Film Festival kicked off today and will run through to the 29th. Before the Rains is one of 142 films appearing, and forms part of the 'Gala' section. It will be shown tomorrow (19th) and Friday 20th. There is no sign of any cast/crew attendance at present. Post-festival, the film will be released on July 25 in the UK, before making its way to Australia, New Zealand and Russia.

• Also, Mark Kilian's beautiful soundtrack for the movie, released by Lakeshore Records, is now available on iTunes. (A reminder that a snippet of the score can be accessed on the official Before the Rains website).

• In the press arena, the Herald's Alison Rowat briefly highlights the film as one of sixteen to look out for over the festival. IndieWire also mention that Rains drew 'huge crowds' at the recent Maui Film Festival in Hawaii.

• Blog-wise, it is a mixed verdict from viewer Creative Loafing but he does give some interesting thoughts - some important, some slightly less important:

On the visuals:

[...] Before the Rains is filled with stunning landscapes and handsome period costumes, with expert cinematography that makes even the most mundane objects sparkle like the artificial dirt at Disney's Animal Kingdom. [...]

On the character of Henry Moores:

[...] [Moores is] a British plantation owner who doesn't understand all the fuss over colonialism, since all he wants to do is build schools, hospitals and a road to transport spices across India. "Today tea, tomorrow cinnamon," crows this self-described "man of the future," a benevolent dictator who sincerely loves India, even as he snags, depletes and discards her resources. [...]

On feet:

[...] The film takes place in 1937 in the Kerala region of India, where the bottoms of the locals' feet are never dirty despite everyone walking around barefoot all day. [...]

• Lastly, the words of Edinburgh writer Matthew Turner are largely synoptic, but he does consider Ms Ehle 'as lovely as ever'. In summary, he says:

[...] The cast do their best (Bose and Das are particularly good, though Ehle's rather wasted as Laura) but the end result is rather underwhelming. ... Watchable enough, though and the scenery is fantastic. [...]

Ivanov

• As you may have guessed, 'to be or not to be' is still the question here, but we'll keep you posted!

(Photo from Wireimage)

A bit of a chocolate box

BEFORE THE RAINS

• Firstly, three more lovely readers have given their reviews of Before the Rains in the New York Times. In ascending order:

Reviewer 1 (3 out of 5 stars) concedes that Rains 'falls short of a great movie', but despite a few flaws would 'recommend it to friends', adding:

[...] The imagery is there, the actors are competent [and] the usage of nature in the movie is compelling. It casts a magical spell that takes hold of the viewer and lingers in her mind long after she has left the theatre. [...]

Reviewer 2 (4 stars) considers the movie 'beautiful' and describes it thus:

[...] This is a film for those who really appreciate the craft of films. I kept marveling at how expertly suspense was created by the slow revelation of fact after fact, each in a fully dramatized scene, until the audience just knew all hell was about to break loose. The script was great, the cinematography fabulous. I would have enjoyed a bit more passion from both main characters - more of her desperation at being caught in a loveless marriage, and more from him on why he'd do such a brainless thing. Still there was enough to keep me riveted to the screen. I enjoyed the symbology, too. Shows what a master filmmaker can do with a simple but powerful plot. [...]

In a similar vein, Reviewer 3 (5 stars) calls Rains 'a gift to art lovers':

[...] The sceneries are absolutely amazing. The lush green forests, mountains with clouds and stunning waterfall all are spectacular. Certainly, director/photographer Sivan did an outstanding job. Some of the details...are quite well done. The performances/cast by all the actors is superb - Linus Roache and Rahul Bose's acting "by expressions" gives a distinct touch to the story...where in many scenes there were so many things unsaid. I've no doubt this movie will do quite well in both worlds. [...]

From the professionals:

• George Lang of NewsOK left the film with happy thoughts:

[...] "Before the Rains” boasts beautiful, believable performances from Das and Bose ... [the film] works as a piece of high-class melodrama, and Sivan infuses his film with his country's exotic natural beauty. The film continues the Merchant/Ivory tradition of stylishly documenting the stodgy pageantry of the day and the decadence that took place under the mosquito netting at night. [...]

• Similarly, Bob Hoover of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette refers to the film as 'a stunningly photographed melodrama' deciding it constitutes 'great looking cinema':

[...] "Before the Rains" is a handsome potboiler, made with sensitivity for the culture and struggle of the Indian people against British colonialism. [...]

He is however a little critical of Sivan's work with Linus Roache and Jennifer Ehle.

• The less-than-enthused Al Hoff of the Pittsburgh City Paper provides the unpleasantly-filled truffle in the chocolate box.
• Interview wise, IndiaGlitz talk to Rahul Bose about Rains, rugby and arthroscopies, while Canadians might be interested to know that Toronto's Now magazine are running a competition (ending Sunday, 11pm) to win 'advance screening passes' for the film.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

• Going back in time, you may remember that ages ago PBS Masterpiece asked for questions to put to the lovely Pride and Prejudice screenwriter Andrew Davies. Responses to the top 10 are now up for your perusal. But firstly, about the responses they received, PBS said:

[...] When Masterpiece gave fans an opportunity to ask Davies anything, hundreds of questions poured in, from the matter-of-fact ("What do you think Jane Austen thought of card playing?") to the highly amusing ("Do you know if Jennifer Ehle has an e-mail address?") [...]

Unsurprisingly, the latter was not chosen, but here are two P&P-related enquiries that made the final ten:

[...]

Question: "Is there anything, in any adaptation, that you wished you had done differently?"
Davies' answer: "The only one I can think of at the moment is Darcy's second and successful proposal in Pride and Prejudice. Too much walking, not enough tender looks, not enough passion."

Question: "In the adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, the movie seems to follow the book pretty closely until the end, when the tension of Elizabeth telling her mother about her engagement and her beginning life at Pemberly [sic] was left out. Was this a conscious decision to leave out these parts?"
Davies' answer: "Absolutely. There is pleasure in reading a novel and seeing how all the little details get worked out, but in a drama, once the audience can sense the ending coming, I like to wrap it all up pretty quickly."

[...]

• ThisIsLondon meanwhile expand on Wednesday's insights into the real Mr Darcy. (Ladies, brace yourselves if you have yet to see the accompanying picture.)

TONY AWARDS

• Penultimately, we wish the best of luck to the many multi-talented ex-Utopians under the spotlight for tomorrow's Tonys.

IVANOV

• As you are probably aware, we are still awaiting news on this front, although yesterday's cast announcement regarding another of the Donmar's plays (also beginning September) suggests news, either way, is in the offing.

(Little-um) Omnium Gatherum

• In answering some fan questions, Martha Plimpton adds to the positive reminiscences of the Coast of Utopia marathons:

[...] Performing those all-day marathons and spending the entire day, from 11 am to 11 pm (with meal breaks, of course) with the same audience those nine times that we did it, was an indescribably gorgeous experience. Believe it or not, those were the days that seemed to go the smoothest. Everyone was on top of their task, working together and staying focused. Adrenaline was generally high. We were always so pumped up afterward, we'd go out and have dinner together en masse and stay out until four in the morning, usually.

Nothing ever went wrong during a marathon that I can recall, outside of the normal odd things that happen in live theater. Those days were particularly golden for everyone. It involved a crew of outstanding men and women who are the best in the world at what they do. It is a testament to the brilliance of the Lincoln Center crew that I can say we never noticed anything going wrong on those days. [...]

• The Sun meanwhile issue some disappointing thoughts about Thomas Lefroy, the man considered to be the real Mr Darcy.

[...] A mini-portrait of Lefroy on sale in London this month shows him as a pale wimp. One expert said: “He looks a bit girlish with rather wispy, curly hair. He certainly does not appear to have any of Mr Darcy’s rugged qualities.” ... Austen met Lefroy through a friend and flirted with him but they were parted in 1796 by their families. The book was written about that time but not published until 1813. [...]

• The Age discuss the minefield of choosing movie titles. Pride and Glory makes an appearance:

[...] When they met last year with executives at New Line Cinema, marketing consultants Seth Lockhart and Jamil Barrie pitched 10 alternative titles for Pride and Glory, a police drama starring Edward Norton and Colin Farrell. The title One of Our Own caught the eye of Russell Schwartz, New Line's marketing chief at the time, who asked, "What's wrong with this one?"

That's when Lockhart, who hated One of Our Own because it sounded like a tag line, gave a kick under the table to Barrie - who thought it perfectly suited the tale of cops betrayed by a corrupt colleague. ... As it has turned out, New Line has stuck with Pride and Glory for its long-delayed drama, now set for release in 2009. [...]

• Before the Rains news today comes from cinema goers themselves. Moviepie Musings are largely positive, and were particularly glad to see the 'lovely' Ms Ehle whom they consider to have been 'sorely missing in action lately'. The intriguingly named Cheeseblabbery have a more mixed opinion, but describe Ms Ehle as 'radiant'.
• A reminder that the film's next festival appearance will be at the Edinburgh International Film Festival later this month, where it will be screened twice.
• Lastly, a reminder that the 2008 Tony Awards will be taking place this Sunday, June 15. Among the nominees are Tom Stoppard, Martha Plimpton, David Pittu, Scott Pask, Catherine Zuber and Natasha Katz.

Rains and loveliness

Before the Rains

Much pro/con evaluation is occurring today on the rainy front, but there does seem to be a sunny consensus when it comes to the film's look and the efforts of its cast.

• On the former, India Currents says:

[...] Sivan’s cinematography, as always, is breathtaking. Kerala is lush and vibrant with color. Sivan shows his flair for shooting water, one of his favorite subjects. The film moves effortlessly, and there is not a moment during the 98-minute film that you feel the story dragging. [...]

And on the latter:

[...] Das is not used to her full potential in the film, both in terms of screen time and character. Ehle performs well, but her character also had the potential to be much stronger, if Sivan hadn’t glossed over her dramatic arc. Roache plays convincingly as a man who can be seen as spineless on one end, but with circumstantially justifiable actions on the other. At the crux of the film is Bose, and he delivers a good performance. [...]

• Boston.com is more mixed, but calls the film 'competent, even suspenseful', adding that it offers 'enough dramatic elements for a dozen movies'.
  


• The World Socialist Website has more criticisms, but reiterates that the film is both:

[...] beautiful to watch and skillfully employs the talents of its cast. [...]

• Northern News goes into greater detail but arrives at a similar conclusion:

[...] Breathtaking panoramas of southern India and cinematic strokes of artistry fill "Before the Rains." ... For all its loveliness and attempts to be profound, this film is...predictable...albeit in a colonial setting. It is saved by its beauty and well-etched performances. Rahul Bose is wonderfully believable as Neela. His performance is almost matched by Linus Roache as Henry. [...]

• Next, if you were thinking of attending the Lake Placid Film Forum (being held June 12-14), Before the Rains is being shown at 8.45 at the Palace Theatre on the Thursday. Producer Paul Hardart will be hosting the screening. (See The Cottage Chat).
  
  
• Lastly, The Hollywood Reporter have a small but nice Q&A with Ms Ehle's co-star Nandita Das.

Pride and Glory

On the Pride and Glory front, there now appears to be a more specific date than '2009'! IMDb are listing Norway's release as April 3, corroborated by Upcoming Movie Trailers.

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

• Last but not least, it is a thumbs up for Ms Harris from one blogger for her most recent available work:

[...] it's fair to say that the tension is only allowed to slacken when Lumet and Masterson introduce us to the boys' unhappy parents, beautifully played by Albert Finney and Rosemary Harris. [...]

Mr Blogger goes on to add:

[...] as we are all used to almost every movie, of whatever genre, running out of ideas a long way before the end, it is great to see one which saves its most ingeniously nasty moment for the final curtain [...]

Finally, Tom O'Neil of The Envelope has indulged in some early-phase Emmy predictions. Fingers crossed his 'possible' guesses are correct.

Little excitement today. There, I said it.

Although there are a few pieces to tide us over...

Before the Rains

• MSN movies have another nice Rains clip which you may or may not have seen. It features Henry and Sajani (Linus Roache and Nandita Das). Enjoy! (And apologies for the advert before it.)

• Review-wise, James Thompson of People's Weekly World seems contented, referring to the film's 'wonderful imagery'. He also has some interesting observations:

[...] The movie “Before the Rains” should be used as an example to illustrate the main points of Frederick Engels’ work “Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State.” Set in 1930s India during the uprising of Indian nationalists, it clearly shows the effects of capital on love and human relationships. The bottom line is that people who love money, particularly capital, cannot love people. [...]

[...] One of the most poignant moments in the film came when the British master asked his Indian collaborator if the workers in the village were calm. The complacency of the workers is of utmost importance to the capitalist. [...]

The Heidi Chronicles

• Playbill have been interviewing actor Robert Sean Leonard, who discussed his career highlights. Among those he shared was:

[...] James Lapine calling and asking me to read Boyd Gaines' part in The Heidi Chronicles, with Jennifer Ehle, because Andre [Bishop] and Bernie [Gersten] wanted to hear it. I told him, 'It means so much to me, more than 20 years later, that you believe in me.' To me, that's it — it's family. To be included in a room with people you admire is one of the greatest joys in life. [...]

The context of this reading is unclear, and may or may not have anything to do with Ms Ehle's involvement in Nothin' Like A Dame in 2006. See back-posts for more information.

Tony time

• The infamous Mr. Charles Isherwood of the New York Times looks to this year's Tonys with reflection on the 'larger' winners of the previous two years (The Coast of Utopia and The History Boys).

Rosemary Harris

• Sue Merrell of The Grand Rapids Press has been conversing with actress Elizabeth Wilson. Wilson was Ms Harris' co-star in Waiting in the Wings in 1999/2000.

[...] Wilson, 87, said the onstage animosity between "Wings" characters Lotta (Lauren Bacall) and May (Rosemary Harris) wasn't all acting, either, as the two had their conflicts off-stage as well. But Wilson speaks highly of both actresses. "Rosemary Harris is just the best actress on the planet," Wilson said. [...]

• There is a little more news from The Belfast Telegraph regarding the forthcoming Yankee King. Regarding the story:

[...] Yankee King is a romantic comedy... [It] is set in Ireland in the early sixties and tells the story of a man 'done good' returning to his native Ireland where the plot becomes an entanglement of love and tragedy with interludes of comic relief. [...]

On the film set:

[...] Once again the Paint Hall in the Titanic Quarter [will] be transformed into a studio for the new film. ... The Paint Hall is an organic, user-friendly space with a 90 ft working height, the biggest in Europe. ... [The] production will create about 150 jobs sourced locally and is due to start filming in July with a budget of £4m. As well as filming at Titanic Quarter, the production team proposes to travel to the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum and Groomsport Harbour. [...]

Still not IMDb-able, but we'll keep you posted. And for future reference, a bag of imaginary rubles for the first person to spot an Ivanov confirmation. (Should one materialise, of course.)