Before the Rain 1994

Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune: It shakes you up the way many other notable foreign-language film debuts once did -- films like"Breathless, The 400 Blows or Knife in the Water. Read more

Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune: An important new director announces his arrival. Read more

Peter Rainer, Los Angeles Times: It's a slick piece of work redeemed by a sense of outrage that keeps heating up the shiny, gliding imagery. Read more

Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel: Even if [Manchevski] ends up making American action films, I hope he doesn't lose his eye for beautiful still compositions. Read more

Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: In this triptych of inhumanity, Manchevski answers that, finally, man's humanity is as immutable as his violence. And that, finally, love is a given that keeps on giving. Read more

Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine: [This] eerily beautiful film constantly reminds us that there is an irresistible fascination, an absurd and terrible beauty, in the violence of our times. Read more

Janet Maslin, New York Times: In a film that unfolds unpredictably, with a Mobius-strip structure oddly like that of Pulp Fiction, the one constant becomes an air of foreboding. Read more

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader: Striking and ambitious. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: Macedonian writer-director Milcho Manchevski uses the geometry of circles to build this harrowing, poetic drama about the incomprehensibility-and timelessness-of hatred, violence, and war. Read more

Dave Kehr, New York Daily News: We'll have to wait for Manchevski's next feature to know whether he's an artist or a shrewd entertainer. In the meantime, Before the Rain is one of the more worthy efforts of the season. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: If there's one weakness in Before the Rain, it's that despite an ambitious story, beautiful cinematography, convincing acting, and a powerful message, character development is surprisingly feeble. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: This is one of the year's best films, a brilliant directorial debut for a young man named Milcho Manchevski. Read more

Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle: Before the Rain is the first world-class film to emerge from the war- ravaged Balkans -- a sad tale of war, loss and nationalism. Read more

Tom Charity, Time Out: Flawed, certainly, and a little infatuated with its own tragic aura, but a brave, compelling work which repays serious attention. Read more

Deborah Young, Variety: Before the Rain is a visually and narratively stunning tale in three parts, set between modern London and the timeless hills of Macedonia, in former Yugoslavia Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: With so many Hollywood movies liposucked of all available enigma, mystique and cosmic significance, it's a special pleasure to savor Before the Rain. This Macedonian movie, a candidate for Best Foreign Picture this year, is rich with mystery. Read more

Rita Kempley, Washington Post: Many of its narrative weaknesses are compensated for by the stark beauty of its mountain setting and the eloquent eyes of its well-chosen cast. Read more