How many movies have been made in all these years? Documentaries, cartoons, movies, everything included? I don't know. But I guess I can safely bet in-spite of the fact that I have not seen even a considerable fraction of the movies that had been made so far, that "Before Sunrise" is one of the best movies that have been made so far. Few films have made an impression on me as this one has. After seeing this movie, I was on a high, as the expression is nowadays, for days on end, and even now, as I think of it, the feeling surfaces.
Before sunrise has the obvious, usual, simple, logical, sensible, predictable ingredients.
Beautiful rebellious woman- 1 nos,
Handsome confused heartbroken young man- I nos,
Train-I nos,
Romantic location-I nos,
Adventure-To taste.
So what makes this movie so special? For knowing that, you must watch it. I guess I must say that it is a non-conventional romance, You don't get to see a lot of romantic conversations, clichéd " I love you's" , and the big moustached father of the girl ,inevitable flavor in most stories. But this isn't a story. It does not even have a timeline. It is just a day. A day in the life of a couple. One day.
Is it the story of a one night stand? If I was held at gunpoint and asked to describe the movie in just three words, I will, for saving my life, admit it is a one night stand. One-day-one-night stand, more accurately. But it is something beyond that as well.
The story is "minimalistic", which is the word used to describe this movie. Before Bachchan junior had the idea, these couple discovered the art of walking and talking, and that is it. The movie is about a couple who is walking through the picturesque streets of Vienna, Paris, and talking about a lot of stuff. Jesse, our hero, is a romantic who is desperately trying to hide that fact, and Céline is a romantic person, but with apprehensions of her own, and truly a woman in spirit. They meet on a train, and knowing that it is highly improbable that they'll ever cross paths again, they set out to fulfil that desire for adventure.
There are few things that is not talked about. Love, history, art, past- not exactly a romantic conversation. I wonder, if assured that we might never see the other person again, won't we be more comfortable talking to that person, instead of someone whose judgement threaten us the rest of our lives? That is the essence of the film. Or so I believe.
Film reviews aren't really my forte'. Nope. But certain films deserve to be reviewed and rated, bad and good ones, so that justice prevails. I don't know what that means, of course, you can understand, you see something wonderful, beautiful which touches you and you cannot help but share it with the world. Like After I saw this movie, I called up my best friend and talked for almost an hour and a half, about the movie, and I was told later that my enthusiasm was contagious. Few films have that affect on us, right? Few things in life have that effect, the ability to elevate to a higher state of blissful happiness borne out of nothing materialistic, infact, it is the idea that gives us the joy. The freedom from life's mundane activity, the mind is in constant search for variety. Something to help the soul to keep going on.
All I want from life, is just like what Kajol said In DDLJ." Ek mahine mein apni saari zindigi jee loongi"- She is given one month from her life to see Europe, and then, she is ready to placidly accept what life had in store for her. But I don't have that choice. One year, two max, if you put all your hope together and wish for it, Then I have two more years, in which I wouldn't be able to see Europe, am sure. But I hold on to that hope. That maybe one day, I will get to see Europe. Walk through the streets. See things. See the place. Oh how I envy that Santhosh George Kulangara!! Sigh. Just to see Europe. Paris. Vienna. Maybe just like Simran, mein apni saari zindigi us ek mahine mein jee loongi" but for her, it was before her marriage, and for me..I don't know. A month. It is so short a time, but then again, that will be its beauty.
The stupidest irony is, I have found someone I would love to go there with. But the distance is so much, not to Europe, but to come closer. Once in a lifetime you find yourself among the company of such friends who just..fit in to whatever contorted life you had been living. They fit. Not a square peg and a round hole, a square peg and a square shaped hole. A round peg and a round hole. It is absolute bliss, just lying down on the green ground, looking up at the sky, and laughing really hard. But no, I am not greedy. I can't have everything, life is not meant to be perfect, but it is meant to be a quest for perfection, which you never achieve. So . Europe.
What has this got to do with the movie? I don't know, my literary abilities are not sufficient enough to explain the connection the ramblings have. But once you watch that movie, You will know. Watch it.
Note to self: watch it, again.
Before sunrise has the obvious, usual, simple, logical, sensible, predictable ingredients.
Beautiful rebellious woman- 1 nos,
Handsome confused heartbroken young man- I nos,
Train-I nos,
Romantic location-I nos,
Adventure-To taste.
So what makes this movie so special? For knowing that, you must watch it. I guess I must say that it is a non-conventional romance, You don't get to see a lot of romantic conversations, clichéd " I love you's" , and the big moustached father of the girl ,inevitable flavor in most stories. But this isn't a story. It does not even have a timeline. It is just a day. A day in the life of a couple. One day.
Is it the story of a one night stand? If I was held at gunpoint and asked to describe the movie in just three words, I will, for saving my life, admit it is a one night stand. One-day-one-night stand, more accurately. But it is something beyond that as well.
The story is "minimalistic", which is the word used to describe this movie. Before Bachchan junior had the idea, these couple discovered the art of walking and talking, and that is it. The movie is about a couple who is walking through the picturesque streets of Vienna, Paris, and talking about a lot of stuff. Jesse, our hero, is a romantic who is desperately trying to hide that fact, and Céline is a romantic person, but with apprehensions of her own, and truly a woman in spirit. They meet on a train, and knowing that it is highly improbable that they'll ever cross paths again, they set out to fulfil that desire for adventure.
There are few things that is not talked about. Love, history, art, past- not exactly a romantic conversation. I wonder, if assured that we might never see the other person again, won't we be more comfortable talking to that person, instead of someone whose judgement threaten us the rest of our lives? That is the essence of the film. Or so I believe.
Film reviews aren't really my forte'. Nope. But certain films deserve to be reviewed and rated, bad and good ones, so that justice prevails. I don't know what that means, of course, you can understand, you see something wonderful, beautiful which touches you and you cannot help but share it with the world. Like After I saw this movie, I called up my best friend and talked for almost an hour and a half, about the movie, and I was told later that my enthusiasm was contagious. Few films have that affect on us, right? Few things in life have that effect, the ability to elevate to a higher state of blissful happiness borne out of nothing materialistic, infact, it is the idea that gives us the joy. The freedom from life's mundane activity, the mind is in constant search for variety. Something to help the soul to keep going on.
All I want from life, is just like what Kajol said In DDLJ." Ek mahine mein apni saari zindigi jee loongi"- She is given one month from her life to see Europe, and then, she is ready to placidly accept what life had in store for her. But I don't have that choice. One year, two max, if you put all your hope together and wish for it, Then I have two more years, in which I wouldn't be able to see Europe, am sure. But I hold on to that hope. That maybe one day, I will get to see Europe. Walk through the streets. See things. See the place. Oh how I envy that Santhosh George Kulangara!! Sigh. Just to see Europe. Paris. Vienna. Maybe just like Simran, mein apni saari zindigi us ek mahine mein jee loongi" but for her, it was before her marriage, and for me..I don't know. A month. It is so short a time, but then again, that will be its beauty.
The stupidest irony is, I have found someone I would love to go there with. But the distance is so much, not to Europe, but to come closer. Once in a lifetime you find yourself among the company of such friends who just..fit in to whatever contorted life you had been living. They fit. Not a square peg and a round hole, a square peg and a square shaped hole. A round peg and a round hole. It is absolute bliss, just lying down on the green ground, looking up at the sky, and laughing really hard. But no, I am not greedy. I can't have everything, life is not meant to be perfect, but it is meant to be a quest for perfection, which you never achieve. So . Europe.
What has this got to do with the movie? I don't know, my literary abilities are not sufficient enough to explain the connection the ramblings have. But once you watch that movie, You will know. Watch it.
Note to self: watch it, again.
