Rain

Rain - 2001

Rose Road and Communicado - 90 min.
DVD UPC # 687797100696; 9322225011397; 5060037261398; 5060037261398

Cast: Alicia Fulford-Wierzbicki, Sarah Peirse, Marton Csokas, Alistair Browning, Aaron Murphy.
Screenplay: Christine Jeffs from a novel by Kirsty Gunn; Art Director: Kirsty Clayton; Director of Photography: John Toon; Editor: Paul Maxwell; Music: Neil Finn and Edmund McWilliams; Executive Producer: Robin Scholes; Producer: Philippa Campbell; Director: Christine Jeffs.

It is late summer in the 1970's with 13-year old Janey and her family, who are settling into their Northland east coast cottage for another seaside holiday. Her days are full of swimming and fishing. At night her parents give parties where the adults drink, dance and flirt. Janey is increasingly aware of the cracks in her parents' marriage. Watching her mother begin an affair with a visiting photographer, she starts fo discover her own sexuality. Janey decides to grown up quickly. This first feature film by Jeffs has received much deserved praise. Recommended.

Censor Rating: M - Review rating: B

AVAILABILITY OF VHS OR DVD COPIES

New VHS PAL copies are available from New Zealand for $10nz. Used NTSC VHS copies are found for under $10us. New R1 DVDs are available from various North American sources for about $10us. New R0 PAL DVDs are selling for $20nz or $20au. New R2 PAL DVDs are usually selling for about 10# or 12eur. Note: The R1 NTSC version is presented 1.33:1 with 2.0 stereo sound. The only R1 extras are 3 non-Rain related trailers.
The R0 and R2 PAL versions are in the original 1.8:1 widescreen, but only the R0 one (from Australia) is enhanced for 16:9 and contains both 2.0 and 5.1 dolby digital audio tracks. The R0 extras include a promo reel (8:55), the NZ trailer (2:15), the Aus. Trailer (2.23), 7 non-Rain related trailers, Production notes (text), cast and crew profiles (text). The R2 version is listed as having a director's commentary track, but I have not been able to confirm this extra, so I would appreciate someone emailing me with confirmation or refutation of this.

SOUNDTRACK ON AUDIO CD

Click for Rain CD Details

REVIEWS

New Zealand Film Archive Info and Reviews

Time Out Review

Metacritic consolidated reviews

MRQE Reviews (51 articles)

DVD Compare's Review

Michaeldvd Region 4 Reviews

All Movie Guide Review

"Adapted from the acclaimed novel by Kirsty Gunn, this visually crafted evocation of a seaside holiday in the 1970s - bach, suntan lotion, whiskey sours - gathers some serious talent to unfold its melancholy tale of a family disintegrating in the harsh light of the NZ summer. Twin plots of emotional disconnection between the adults, and sexual awakening in the adolescent daughter, revolve their events in slow-burn, but the expected insight is disappointingly slender, though the music of Neil Finn adds enjoyably to the sunstroke." Aro Video; http://www.arovideo.co.nz/; 03/05/2005

OFFLINE REVIEW SOURCES

Bulletin, v.120no.6345(Oct.8 2002),p75
Illusions, no.34(winter 2002), p.11
Listener, v.180no.3206(Oct.20 2001)
Metro, 244(Oct.2001)
Sight and sound, v.13, issue 8(Aug.2003), p.55
Sunday star-times, Oct.21, 2001

TRAILER & MISC

Official Trailer

Information at IMDB

Interview with director Christine Jeffs

AWARDS

Sarasvata Award, 2nd honour jury prize, Overseas movie category -1st Bali International Film Festival 2003
Toronto International Film Festival-Canada 2001

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