The Man with Rain in His Shoes
Encyclopedia
The Man with Rain in His Shoes is a 1998
Spanish-British romantic comedy
film, written by Spanish singer-songwriter Rafa Russo, directed by Spanish filmmaker María Ripoll (in her directing debut) and starring Lena Headey
, Douglas Henshall
, Penelope Cruz
, Mark Strong
and Elizabeth McGovern
. The film was released under the titles Twice Upon a Yesterday in the United States and If Only... in France, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
who is desperate to stop his ex-girlfriend, Sylvia (Headey), to whom he was unfaithful, from marrying another man. After meeting two mysterious dustmen
, he is given the chance to travel back in time and relive his romance. However, he finds that things develop differently this time around—Sylvia has an affair with Dave (Strong), and she leaves him.
, Nigel and Lewis, Salif Keita
, and Susana Martins. The film's writer Rafa Russo also performs his own composition "Friends Are Friends".
, the Gran Angular Award 1998 at the Catalonian International Film Festival and the Bronze Precolumbian Circle at the 1999 Bogota Film Festival.
1998 in film
-Events:* February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein.* Former child star Gary Coleman is charged with assaulting a young female bus driver at a California shopping mall.-Top grossing films:...
Spanish-British romantic comedy
Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy can refer to* Romantic Comedy , a 1979 play written by Bernard Slade* Romantic Comedy , a 1983 film adapted from the play and starring Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen...
film, written by Spanish singer-songwriter Rafa Russo, directed by Spanish filmmaker María Ripoll (in her directing debut) and starring Lena Headey
Lena Headey
Lena Headey is an English actress. Headey's performance in a one-off show when she was 17 caught the attention of a casting agent, who took a photo and asked her to audition and eventually she got a supporting role alongside Jeremy Irons and Ethan Hawke in the 1992 British drama film Waterland and...
, Douglas Henshall
Douglas Henshall
Douglas James Henshall is a Scottish actor probably best known for his role as Professor Nick Cutter in the British science fiction series Primeval.-Early life:...
, Penelope Cruz
Penélope Cruz
Penélope Cruz Sánchez is a Spanish actress. Signed by an agent at age 15, she made her acting debut at 16 on television and her feature film debut the following year in Jamón, jamón , to critical acclaim...
, Mark Strong
Mark Strong
Mark Strong is an English actor, with a body of work in both films and television. He has performed in films as varied as Body of Lies, Syriana, The Young Victoria, Sherlock Holmes, RocknRolla, Stardust, and Kick-Ass...
and Elizabeth McGovern
Elizabeth McGovern
-Early life:McGovern was born in Evanston, Illinois, the daughter of Katharine Wolcott , a high school teacher, and William Montgomery McGovern, Jr., a university professor. Her paternal grandfather was adventurer William Montgomery McGovern and her maternal great-grandfather was U.S. diplomat...
. The film was released under the titles Twice Upon a Yesterday in the United States and If Only... in France, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
Plot
Victor (Henshall) is an actor in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
who is desperate to stop his ex-girlfriend, Sylvia (Headey), to whom he was unfaithful, from marrying another man. After meeting two mysterious dustmen
Waste collector
A waste collector is a person employed by a public or private enterprise to collect and remove refuse and recyclables from residential, commercial, industrial or other collection site for further processing and disposal...
, he is given the chance to travel back in time and relive his romance. However, he finds that things develop differently this time around—Sylvia has an affair with Dave (Strong), and she leaves him.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack features songs performed by Alpha BlondyAlpha Blondy
Alpha Blondy is a reggae singer and international recording artist. Alpha Blondy was born Seydou Koné in Dimbokro, Côte d'Ivoire. He sings mainly in his native language of Dioula, in French and English, and sometimes in Arabic or Hebrew...
, Nigel and Lewis, Salif Keita
Salif Keita
Salif Keïta is an internationally recognized afro-pop singer-songwriter from Mali. He is unique not only because of his reputation as the Golden Voice of Africa, but because he has albinism and is a direct descendant of the founder of the Mali Empire, Sundiata Keita...
, and Susana Martins. The film's writer Rafa Russo also performs his own composition "Friends Are Friends".
Awards
The film won Best Screenplay 1998 at the Montreal World Film FestivalMontreal World Film Festival
The Montreal World Film Festival , founded in 1977, is one of Canada's oldest international film festivals and the only competitive film festival in North America accredited by the FIAPF...
, the Gran Angular Award 1998 at the Catalonian International Film Festival and the Bronze Precolumbian Circle at the 1999 Bogota Film Festival.