Before Sunrise & Before Sunset
Whadday movie(s)! Definitely one of the best ever romantic movie that I have ever seen. There are only two characters in the entire sequel of movies. There is the protagonist and his opposite or her opposite, should I say? Really, there are no hero or heroine in this movie. Nor is there a villain! Now, if you are a hardcore Indian movie buff, you will dismiss this movie as a total bore and would want to skip this post as well. If not, move ahead.
The movie starts with two strangers who meet on Euro rail and decide to spend a day with each other. They take a break in Austria and that is where the movie happens. The events of the day, their talk, their opinions and that's the movie is about. But you get carried away by the magic of the two actors who carry the movie with their ultra super excellent natural show in every scene. They talk and talk and talk.. they find they have differences in opinion and similarities in taste. But, they don't frown upon their differences nor do they smile on their similarities. They just accept it. You are just spellbound by the direction, the dialogs, the acting and the cinematography. They part with each other at the end of the day with a pact. What was the pact? What did they exactly do? Well... you will have to watch the movie to know.
The sequel happens a few years later. This time in Paris where the male character comes for the release of his book (yes, the book is based on his experience in the last movie). He stumbles upon the female character and there starts another journey. A tad little different for the events and their opinions had changed over the years. What has changed? They feel for each other, they fall in love again! But has the past events have any effect on them? Can they be what they want to be? What happens in the end? Well... you will have to enjoy both the movies. I will not spoil your experience of enjoying this excellent movie sequel. Watch and let me know what you think about the movies :-)
Aptly put when u say "ultra super excellent natural show", though i'm not sure u can have that many qualifiers stacked one after the other! The point is, Delpy in particular emotes so naturally, u feel highly guilty to have breached her personal space just by watching the movie! For me, the movie signifies exactly that; the 2 characters( opposites as u say) is symbolic of the relationship between 2 people who find not basic attraction but the liberty to let go of their inner demons to near total strangers without reserving judgement on each other in the process!
ReplyDeleteIf the first movie gave glimpses of the 2 performers who showed lots of potential, the 2nd one consolidated their standing in the international arena as one of the best among their contemporaries. Not by any measure, is Delpy the most striking woman we have seen on screen or the independent career woman who gets abused these days on celluloid, nor is Hawke the most dashing of heroes with a dark side or hidden baggage that women find sexy( in fact he looks vulnerable which women find sexy too!) But these 2 actors have matured so much in the 10 years between the 2 movies, that watching them fall in love again is painful...physically! I hate to break this...but Linklater(director) does deserve praise for letting them go apart...again! I believe they feel for each other so hugely only because of the separation. Keep them together and they would have been bored in a couple of weeks by talking their mouths off, even if they were hot for each other! Though u can argue, that the mutual respect and love they have is strong enough whether it will keep them together is not only questionable but too impractical that it can happen only in movies!
I can't say i care too much for glossy rom coms; but this certainly doesnt qualify as one! its been 6 months since i last watched the movie...even now i'm torn between 2 basic emotions - the guilt i feel for violating that inner sanctum of two and envy(which is slowly turning to jealousy) that 2 people can trigger each other so much by simply existing...even in movies! Along with it is the feeling of amusement that i foolishly look forward to the next one in the series knowing fully well that will be one movie I wont regret watching no matter what!
Whatay comment! A review of its own.
ReplyDelete1. I am not sure of the usage either! But kinds made its point, didn't it?
2. I differ from you when you said you don't expect them to be happy together. I agree that they were able to fall in love cause they had the courage to bare their souls. They did that cause they were confident that they will never meet!
3. The director never gave an ending man! So you cannot claim that he did not keep them together. If you remember... Hawke was getting late for his flight and still was enjoying his conversation with Delpy and the movie closes. You never know what happened next. It is up to you to take it :)
Such an intriguing review, that I kind of waited for the spoiler at the end. :D
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I emailed this article to my best friend. She loves romantic movies. Thanks for writing this review.
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i have watched this and it stays one of my favorite movies till date!!!
ReplyDeletei liked reading your review though...made me kinda nostalgic :)
Love in the times of samsung galaxy tab
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