AllMovie

The winner of a well-deserved Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film, Before the Rain represents an impressive feature debut for its talented director, Milcho Manchevski. Essentially a political film, but told with a subtlety and attention to nuance that is often foreign to such films, Rain is sometimes challenging (especially in its not-always-obvious bending of chronology) but always rewarding. Rich in its use of symbols (especially circles representing repetition and closure and water representing purification), it is also a visually stunning film, with frequently gorgeous cinematography capturing the Macedonian landscape and bringing it to full bodied life. There's a special texture to Rain, a mystical feeling that is practically tangible. Manchevski elicits impressive performances from his international cast. Rade Serbedzija holds the screen with great power and presence, exhibiting the weariness of the character without giving in to ennui. Katrin Cartlidge is excellent as his lover, speaking volumes with a flicker of her eyes, and Gregoire Colin portrays the conflicted monk with admirable skill. Rain is not without flaws -- it is sometimes more concerned with technique, style and theme at the expense of deep character development -- but such flaws are minor. Seven years would elapse before the release of Manchevski's next film, Dust.