Before the Rains (2007)

48% of critics liked it
(66 reviews)
52% of users liked it
(1,556 ratings)

An Englishman intent on opening a spice plantation in Kerala attempts to gain the trust of the local villagers and destroys numerous lives in the process in this period drama from director/cinematographer Santosh Sivan. The year is 1937, and the power that the English wield over the citizens of… More An Englishman intent on opening a spice plantation in Kerala attempts to gain the trust of the local villagers and destroys numerous lives in the process in this period drama from director/cinematographer Santosh Sivan. The year is 1937, and the power that the English wield over the citizens of India can be devastating even in the mildest of cases. Henry Moores (Linus Roache) is an entrepreneur and businessman who has singled out Kerala as the site where he plans to break ground on a potentially lucrative spice plantation. When Henry discovers that he will have to build a new road in order to make his plans feasible, he enlists the aid of trusted right-hand man T.K. (Rahul Bose) is warming the locals to the idea. The project is going to take plenty of manpower, and Henry is going to need all the help he can get. But while Henry relies on T.K. to help him realize his professional goals, his personal needs fall on the shoulders of his pretty housekeeper, Sajani (Nandita Das). One day, when their trip into the forest to collect honey takes a decidedly sensual turn, two local village boys witness the erotically charged tryst and word eventually gets back to Sanani's husband in the village. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 38 min.
Directed By: Santosh Sivan
Written By: Cathy Rabin, Dan Verete
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: May 9, 2008 Limited
On DVD: Sep 16, 2008
Studio: Roadside Attractions

Critic Reviews

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
It's definitely good, definitely a little bit boring.
Philip Marchand, Toronto Star
India has rarely looked so beautiful onscreen. Against the anguish of his human characters, director Santosh Sivan juxtaposes a tranquil, green world in the hills of the southwestern state of Keralain 1937, 10 years before independence.
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
When the rains in Before the Rains finally arrive, there's nothing to cleanse, no real dirt to wash away -- not with history already so neatly packaged and polished to a dull shine.
Loren Lankford, Entertainment Weekly
Unfortunately, the parade of consequences brought on by the affair has little emotional substance.
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
Producer Ismail Merchant died in 2005, but Merchant Ivory's stuffy tradition of quality lives on.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
I can't quite recommend it.
Kelly Vance, East Bay Express
If only the whole thing weren't so pretty.
Nick Schager, House Next Door
Mechanical through and through.
Nick Dent, Time Out Sydney
Has the moral overtones of an EM Forster story, but is curiously lacking in emotional force.
Rhiannon Sawyer, FILMINK (Australia)
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.
Louise Keller, Urban Cinefile
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
Marc Savlov, Austin Chronicle
Exquisitely photographed but emotionally overwrought and ultimately tedious.
Tim Cogshell, Boxoffice Magazine
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.
Jean Lowerison, San Diego Metropolitan
An unremarkable story beautifully told, and should appeal to the legion of Merchant Ivory fans out there.
Pete Hammond, Hollywood.com
One of the most ravishing and breathtakingly beautiful films to come around in a long time.
Sarah Boslaugh, Playback:stl
...fails to deliver on the potentially intriguing premise of an interracial romance set in India in 1937, against the backdrop of the Indian independence movement
Jim Lane, Sacramento News & Review
The movie has enough fine acting -- especially by Bose and by Jennifer Ehle as the planter's deceived wife -- and beautiful, razor-sharp cinematography (also by Sivan) to recommend it.
Anthony Quinn, Independent
Acting honours go to Bose, his face an eloquently shifting register of shame, calculation and sympathy.
, Sun Online
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.

Read all 19 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Red L

Things do not end well for a love affair between two different races and casts set in India as colonial rule is ending. The Indian scenery is worth the watch.
Walter M

In "Before the Rains," it is 1937 in Kerala, India where Henry Moores(Linus Roache) is a planter who is building a road to help his business, risking everything to finish it before the monsoons start. On the personal side, even though he is married, he is carrying on an… More
In "Before the Rains," it is 1937 in Kerala, India where Henry Moores(Linus Roache) is a planter who is building a road to help his business, risking everything to finish it before the monsoons start. On the personal side, even though he is married, he is carrying on an affair with Sajani(Nandita Das), the family maid, who is trapped in an abusive marriage. One day, the lovers are noticed in a sacred grove by a pair of boys. If "Before the Rains" sounds as predictable and obvious as every other doomed romance you have ever heard of, you would be at least partially right.(What was it Anton Chekhov said about guns, again?) What separates this movie from others of its ilk is the lack of sympathy given to its lead English character who has no true regard for India which is also undergoing spasms of independence. That along with lush cinematography combine to provide a sincere feel for a time and place.
Leo L

Great movie. Good story plot. Here is a movie by Santosh Sivan. This is a movie that captivates you, and it holds such a great interest that you are left feeling intrigued. Great cast- Nandita Das, Linus Roache, and Rahul Bose. Amazing music. Definitely worth seeing.
Tom S

I liked it, but I would have liked it about the same if everything was cut out except the music and the shots of scenic India.