‘Species,’ ‘Before The Rain’ Both Excellent New Offerings

Summer is the time when the big film studios bring out their biggest movies and rake in hundreds of millions. So the films released are generally star-studded showcases with mega-budgets. But in the midst of this onslaught of sequels and action movies, one must be careful not to overlook the smaller films, made with no stars and a meager budget, that actually have something to say.

It’s the films like “Before The Rain,” rather than “Species,” that remain more memorable. Where “Before the Rain” is a conscious film that illustrates the futility of war, “Species” is a highly entertaining film that illustrates what happens when a deadly female alien searches Los Angeles for a man that will impregnate her.

Both are great films, but for vastly different reasons.

“Species” has government scientists combining alien and human DNA, creating a creature somewhat in between. Her name is Sil, and her supermodel body is hiding her alien half, which does occasionally surface and kill people.

The special effects are magnificent: tentacles shoot out of Sil’s mouth, spikes pop out of her back. And when Sil finally turns into an alien completely, the result is spectacular.

By the end, “Species” has lost a little of its punch due to some standard screenplay tactics. But the special effects and the surprisingly effective performance by Natasha Henstridge as Sil have combined to make “Species” one of the best films released so far this summer.

For a movie just as entertaining, but containing social relevance too, see “Before the Rain.” This is a Macedonian film concerning the Christian/Muslim conflict in the former Yugoslavian republics.

“Before the Rain” focuses not on the effects of war on whole nations, but on individuals. The film contains no battle scenes or shootouts, and even the history or reasons behind the bloodshed. It merely shows the pointlessness of violence through three stories that are seemingly unrelated.

The brilliance behind “Before the Rain” becomes clear in the third story, where every character and event comes into play, and are tragically tied together.

The beautiful photography creates some scenes that are hard to forget: peasants with machine guns grooving to the Beastie Boys, rain hitting dried, cracked ground, and a cat being shot to pieces are only a few. The characters are just as unforgettable, as are their fates.

The film is harrowing and like no other “war” movie in that it’s minimalistic. There are no need for any crowd scenes or firefights. Using just a handful of people, the film is able to capture a gigantic notion.

Species: A-

Before the Rain: A+