Before the Rain (1994)

My friend P has recommended some great movies. Fingersmith - I don't even need to add to the list, because that one was SO good her rep is set.

Before the Rain is one of her fav films because of the structure, and I understand what she means. The film has no linear beginning or end, which is even referenced in the movie (first and last speeches). I believe the quote was something along the lines of: the world is a circle, but it's not round. The movie starts and ends with the same scene and dialog, and that makes sense because the movie moves in a circle. As the movie is about the never-ending conflict and hatred between Macedonia and Albania, the circular point is valid.

The action in the film is impossible. A man in London leaves a photograph with his girlfriend of a murder that has not yet taken place. The viewer knows this, but the lack of continuity is not referenced overtly in the film. It just keeps moving, and the lack of a real timeline makes a cool structure.

Unfortunately, I didn't like the acting much. Some of it is great (the young priest and his runaway friend), but some of it is overdone and schlocky. The dialog is also poor, and the London relationships seem very contrived. Perhaps that was the director's point, as in real life is only happening in Macedonia, but the London relationships added nothing to the film. They did make the timeline interesting, but not enough to compensate for the fluffiness.

I would watch this if you would like to see something different, and if you like out-of-time movies (think Sliding Doors, but about war).