Before the Rains, the first English language film for Indian director Santosh Sivan, is a surprisingly effective, accessible, and beautiful riff on familiar themes. Set in British-controlled 1930's India during a growing nationalist movement, the film is about love and self destructive ambition in the face of a rapidly changing country. Following the two-cultural-groups-that-just-don't-understand-each-other formula which you can find in the Oscar-pandering section of your local video store, I was surprised with how evenhandedly the film was written. I've always been a bit bothered by the ease at which Hollywood films of this type may be distilled down to misunderstood-saints-clad-in-brilliant-sterling-silver versus the incorrigibly wrong/ frustrating adjacent cultural group. Before the Rains by contrast does an exceptional job of humanizing both sides. Mr. Sivan certainly injects his own ideas, but leaves plenty of room for the viewer draw their own conclusions. The success of the film is rooted in its simplicity. The photography, characters, and events fit well into a concrete theme that is repeated throughout. Clocking in at 98 minutes, it feels streamlined and well edited, sustaining a well constructed level of tension until its satisfying conclusion. A cinematographer-turned-director, Mr. Sivan's mastery of photography is dramatically apparent from the first image of sweeping countryside. It is one of the most visually masterful films I've seen since the tragically mediocreAssassination of Jesse James. While it remains to be seen how well Before the Rains will perform in the box office, it undoubtedly represents the first trickle of a greater overlap between Indian and American cinema. Bollywood produces far more studio releases than Hollywood does, and they are increasingly being targeted at international markets, particularly the English speaking world. Before the Rains isn't flawless, but if it's an indication of what's to come, I think we're in for a real treat.
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