ok and let me again admit that i haven not see any other merchant ivory ( the distributor ) film . nor have i see more celebrated work by the director and so my capacity to discuss before the rain outside of analysis of the film itself be mitigate . with that admittance and let me begin . before the rain be a different kind of movie that doesn not know which genre it want to be . at first and it pretend to be a romance . in most romance and the protagonist fall in love with a support character and be separate from the support character and and be ( sometimes ) unite with his or her partner . this movie hero have already win the heart of his lover but can not be with her . his name be henry moore and her name be sajani and and they reside in southern india during the waning day of the raj ( british imperial rule ) . henry have be away from london for a long time and have fall in love with his married indian maid and despite his legal marriage and child overseas . what could be good than that . they often sneak away for intimate afternoon until some child notice them . word spread to sajani husband who question her involvement with moore . she deny any contact with him and but moore ask her to leave the area . sajani refuse because of her devotion to him and commits suicide . please take note that these event occur in the opening third of the film . the film change tone and become a crime drama in it final portion . sajani body be discover right a moore family come to visit . the alleged perpetrator be moore english educate assistant t. k. t. k. know of his master affair but keep silent until his life becomes threaten . once he be declare innocent and he attempt to regain his honor by kill moore . t. k. be too squeamish and leave him in a dirt path a the rain fall . i want to warn you and this isn not a romance film . the dvd cover and theatrical poster show an indian woman and caucasian man embrace in an idealized tropic set . this image be capture directly from the film opening and but quickly disappears . then it over . it seem like an effort to capitalize on western fixation on forbidden love . it isn not effective and at all . not only be the movie not a romance and but it character lack any personality . they be bundle of walk clichés . moore be an arrogant white man who doesn not recognize his indian friend and t. k. intelligence . t. k. be tear between his own heritage and his educative background . sajani be a woman incapable of have a choice in her romantic life . oh and and and of course and moore family be inquisitive into sajani death but still slightly racist to indian . if the tone wasn not so serious and i would be willing to overlook these problem and but it isn not . the film be present with a didactic overtone which highlight it poor character development . no and this film isn not terrible . other than the laughable screenplay and it isn not poor . the actor be all experienced and perform well here . nandita da and who play sajani and be part of wonderful indian drama water . even director sivan have an impressive resume . he recently oversee the terrorist and which be part of roger ebert great movie collection . what happen here . why be this movie so bad . well and sivan mention how he be inspire to direct this film because of a short he view in israel call red roof . apparently and the story be timeless and and sivan seek to create a similar experience set in 1930 india . i do not have any problem with that approach and but i think sivan may have be too motivate this time . the actor and cinematography and and set design be acceptable but unless you share sivan aura and you will probably not enjoy it . my recommendation be that you presume you aren not in accordance with him and watch something else . final consensus represent and ½ out of .