This ambitious indie adapts six Anton Chekhov stories by grouping them together and transferring the action to present-day Cleveland during a torrential downpour. Writer/director Michael Meredith attempts to respect Chekhov’s unique stream-of-conscious style and morally tricky foundation material, but he does so at the cost of making a film that is ultimately quite a downer. The characters and situations are every bit as dreary and depressing as the film’s setting: a financially strapped craftsman (Michael Santoro) attempts to get money owed him by a recently widowed client; a heroin addict (Merle Kennedy) tries to prevent her child from sharing her fate; and a world-weary cab driver (football legend Don Meredith, the director’s dad) mourns the death of his son. Amongst the talented cast members, Peter Falk and Blythe Danner contribute a pair of fine performances.

Shelf Talk: Yet another entry in the seemingly endless parade of multiple-story-line movies that have become popular in the wake of Crash and Nine Lives, Three Days of Rain reflects the care and sensitivity that obviously went into its production. But as mainstream entertainment, it won’t make the grade. The movie had some film-festival exposure and a token theatrical release in 2005, but it failed to generate much interest despite kind reviews from some sympathetic critics.