The Man with Rain in His Shoes (1998)

Director:

María Ripoll

Writer:

Rafa Russo (writer)

Release Date:

25 June 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

In the game of love, three's are wild.

Plot:

A shambling, out-of-work actor, desperate to win back the affections of his ex-girlfriend, unexpectedly stumbles upon a way to turn back the clock.

Plot Keywords:

Actor | Destiny | Accident | Beautiful Woman | Repeated Event

Awards:

3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Lena Headey	...	Sylvia Weld
Douglas Henshall	...	Victor Bukowski
Penélope Cruz	...	Louise
Gustavo Salmerón	...	Rafael
Mark Strong	...	Dave Summers
Eusebio Lázaro	...	Don Miguel
Charlotte Coleman	...	Alison Hayes
Neil Stuke	...	Freddy
Elizabeth McGovern	...	Diane
Antonio Gil	...	Director (as Antonio Gil-Martinez)
Heather Weeks	...	Carol
Inday Ba	...	Janice
Paul Popplewell	...	Simon
David Spinx	...	Vendor (as Dave Spinks)
David Fishley	...	Pianist (as Dave Fishley)

Also Known As:

If Only... (Australia) (France) (UK)
Lieber gestern als nie (Germany)
Lluvia en los zapatos (Spain)
Twice Upon a Yesterday (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and a scene of sexuality.

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

Spain | France | UK | Germany | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | Finland:K-10 | France:U | Germany:6 | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

All Saints Road, Notting Hill, London, England, UK

Company:

CLT

Soundtrack:

Piece of My Heart

Cute with a very specific appeal

This is a cute film which is very enjoyable to watch. I wondered though if I formed part of a very select group of people who would enjoy it as much as I did. I saw it in Spain (in original version of course), where I was living at the time, which added to my appreciation of its "Spanishness". I am, nevertheless, English and enjoyed something peculiarly English about the whole thing, the self-deprecating humour as well as the great shots of London, (NOT the Tower or Big Ben, just ordinary real London) including the Notting Hill Carnival. And I think only the English can truly appreciate how near the bone the parodied BBC sitcom in which the main character becomes embroiled is.

I felt that to enjoy the film as I did, you have to bring together a number of different strands. For example, personal experience of both English and Spanish culture. And, speaking of culture, it helps if you are familiar with "Don Quijote". Add to this a penchant for both romantic comedy and bizarre fantasy worlds (for any fans of "Stig of the Dump" this has a scene a little like that for grown-ups) and you can really enjoy this film.

A peculiar title in English, by the way. In Spanish the title means "Rain in your shoes" (more or less) which emphasises the time travel element less and makes it a little more mysterious, I feel. The English sounds a bit hackneyed in my opinion. I thought I had read somewhere that it was called "The man with rain in his shoes", though this is a bit of a mouthful I must admit.