The Scent of Rain & Lightning

This is the kind of film that sticks with you, and makes you want to watch again. The story isn't told in a traditional way, which can make it feel unsettling and even disorienting at times, but in an interesting and engaging way.

With a stellar cast, I really did expect more from percent of rain and lightning. It just seems to drag on and on with only a few standout scenes, what could've been a compelling who done it turns out to be more than a bit of a drag! It seems to have been shot on a pretty tight budget, but even so a little bit of creative cinematography could've elevated it higher. The modern western setting is nothing we haven't seen 1000 times before, and sadly some of the drawnout shots are more style over substance. Again, the cast do nothing wrong, but aren't given much to work with in what is a truly forgettable movie.

After watching this garbage twice(once with subtitles) I am still in the dark as to "who dun it". What a convoluted bewildering story made all the more so by time shifting and similar looking suspects. 0 stars!! Waste of time.

The movie stinks. I can't stand the back and forth business with no explanation as to what is going on. There were constant flashbacks to the past like we are supposed to know who all the characters are. It started at the beginning and we hadn't even gotten to know the present characters so that makes it frustrating and confusing. The entire movie goes back and forth. The lead character's trying to figure out who murdered her parents years ago but she never comes to a conclusion; she seems to give up altogether towards the end. What was the point? We never find out 'who done it!" I can't stand movies that don't have a conclusion.

Another thing I didn't like is the filming technique "shaky-camera syndrome" and it was so random. Too bad no one on the movie making staff had the guts to tell the director he did a terrible job of trying to tell a story and that he omitted 99% of the answers.

The Scent of Rain and Lightning made some interesting decisions: a non-linear story line, understated colors, and a list of characters that you both related to and suspected of murder. By the time the main character unravels the story of her parents' deaths, she realizes that no one is all good or bad, that people make mistakes and that some of those choices lead to dire consequences. This is no old-time western where the bad guy rides in with his black hat so you know who "done" it. The story unravels, going back and forth from past to present, keeping you engaged and guessing. I think this choice by the director was brilliant, and it keeps the audience in a semi-state of uncertainty--as soon as you think you've figured it out, guess again. I saw this movie with my husband, who normally likes easy and entertaining, but he found it as intriguing as I did, and I prefer movies that leave me with something to chew on afterwards. The casting had depth and allowed for the whole movie to work instead of revolving around a few major characters; it definitely felt like an ensemble. If you liked Hell or High Water, you'll like this film.