Summer Rain

Writer/Director Jonathan Glendening's rough n' tumble indie feature was released 20 years ago, and his zesty beachside 20-something comedy has happily retained much of its boorish, roguishly comedic charm! The colourful performances from the raw young cast are quite splendid, their unfamiliarity adding an frisson of verisimilitude to the all too familiar narrative. 'Summer Rain is a playful, fun-dappled, seaside serenade to disastrous break-ups, blissful boozy nights out, saucy nights in, and far from refined bachelor cuisine! Flame-haired Michelle inopportunely chooses her 21st birthday to break up with her long-term artistically-inclined boyfriend Gary (Paul Vaughan Evans) which fatefully acts as the emotional catalyst for his increasingly desperate attempts to win back Michelle's waning affections. While far from subtle, Summer Rain is arguably at its boisterous best during the amusingly noisome exchanges of its youthful, party-hearty protagonists, with some especially toothsome badinage between angsty Michelle and her no less emotionally beleaguered flatmates Vicky (Lara Clancy) and Becky (Cath Sampson). Enticingly framed against the irresistibly solar-hazed decadence of Brighton in all its gaudy summer-singed glory, Jonathan Glendening's 'Summer Rain' remains a charmingly relatable tale for twentysomethings of all ages!'

Was it the best film ever? No. Did it have a few issues that maybe a more experienced team could have avoided? Maybe? BUT I really enjoyed Summer Rain - likeable characters, a solid script and a good narrative that doesn't end like you might expect and some good performances.

It also looks great - shot 35mm and (in the version I saw) upgraded to 4k, it feels like a film. There's also a solid sound track also (mostly from local bands) and really does feel like a cut of the end of the 90's - clubbing, beach parties, facing new challenges and growing up.

It wont change the world but if you get a chance to see it I'd certainly recommend.

The tension I experienced during watching this masterpiece, was so extreme I developed rheumatoid arthritis as a result. From start to finish I was on the edge of my seat, my palms were hurting, my head was spinning, my bones were shaking, my balls were fizzing. It is probably the cleverest film, ever to have been made since Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove. Sure at first, it appears that this is some of the worst acting in the history of life, but as you slowly invest yourself fully to this magical cinematic experience, you realise it would actually be impossible to act this bad, what is actually happening, is these 'actors' aren't acting at all, they are truly living this film and the only reason it seems they are so obviously acting, is because they are so deep into character, that they have become those characters, they have become Brighton, they have become Summer Rain. Probably. In fact, it's clear that what is happening here, is a Tour de Force of such magnitude, the film has become life itself or has life become Summer Rain. Particular credit has to go to the young starlet who plays Becky. I have to admit it is a shock to me, she has not been seen in anything else since. I can only assume she gave so much to this film, that there was nothing left in the tank to give. Becky or whoever you are, we thank you. On a wider note, since watching this film, I have often tried to share my experience with others. The reception has not always been as positive as mine. In fact my lifelong best friend Archie, won't speak to me now, and if we bump into each other at various functions, he has taken to spitting at me. Well I think he is spitting at me. There have however been some positive reviews and in fact one particular group of friends found that watching Summer Rain has cured their epilepsy. Why didn't you give this film a 10, if it is so good I hear you shout. Well the bare truth is, that I just didn't feel there was enough Rain or Summer in this film, to justify the title. In fact I have previously considered legal action under the trades descriptions act, but I feel deducting a star sufficient for the time being. Also there weren't enough boobs in it for my personal liking. All that said, highly enjoyable, and whilst I now have to live a life heavily medicated and I can only walk short distances unassisted as a result of watching it, it's been worth it and I'd do it all again in a heartbeat.

i rented summer rain with great expectation having both read some good reviews and the assurity that it had featured at brightons own 'duke of york' picture house. basically it stank. the cinematography was first class. the sound too was well thought through, ie in loud music sequences. they clearly had the right people in to do the job. but this film suffers from hollyoak syndrome. ie bad acting. i cared so little about the characters that i had to feign interest after ten minutes. lines were delivered as if they had been read only minutes before the shoot and as if they had another four episodes to film that week. the storyline as it was seemed to drag and so much was made of the brighton seafront as if to underpin the weak script. coming to a bargain bin near you

This is an assured contemporary drama from one of the UK's hottest young directors. Gary (Paul Vaughan Evans) is dumped at his girlfriend's twenty first party, much to his surprise, and attempts to win back the love of his life. A compelling coming-of-age drama unfolds as the script ranges across moments of comedy, suspense and acute self-reflection. The largely unknown cast give uniformly excellent performances. Stunningly photographed in the Brighton summer, the City has never looked so great on film. This movie is a brave riposte to all that is regrettably vapid and fundamentally faux about so much current British film-making. a a a