Before the Rain (1994)

Directed by Milcho Manchevski. Starring Rade Šerbedžija, Katrin Cartlidge, Grégoire Colin, Labina Mitevska, Jay Villiers, Silvija Stojanovska, Josif Josifovski, Kiril Ristoski, Phyllida Law.

Circular, surprising three-part tragedy connecting the paths of a trio of individuals—a youthful monk who has taken a vow of silence, a seasoned and disenchanted war zone photographer, and his English lover and editor—during a turbulent political/wartime period in Macedonia (two threads are set there, one in London). It’s possible that Rade Šerbedžija has never been better on film, a gritty yet philosophical “man of the world” whose weary wisdom is flush with understated actor tricks (mostly in the eyes and posture). Although overly symbolic and slow to start, the movie gains ground as each plot flows into the next and builds to a gripping conclusion that “rewrites” what the viewer assumed all along. Beautifully photographed and quietly moving. The premier film from Macedonia nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, just a few years after the republic was first established during the breakup of communist Yugoslavia.

78/100