OK, it’s official! Holidays are overrated. They promise so much but ultimately they deliver so little. Still, I fall for the promises every time and end up thoroughly bored. I have to wonder what that implies for my memory ….. Anyway, I’m currently sitting here with just over a month left until I’m forced to return to the grindstone of university. Anyone studying Arts at Melbourne University will immediately recognise the irony of that statement. Nonetheless, university does require early mornings and a level of brain power which I’m not relishing expending right now.
And so, I resolved that if my break is not going to give me anything interesting to do, I’d at least waste my time pleasantly by catching up on a few movies I’ve been meaning to watch. The first one I found was a little movie from the 90s by the name of “Before Sunrise.” It is the beautifully simple story of a couple who meet on a train in Europe, spending a night together before going their separate ways.
To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much more than a sentimental flick from this movie. I think it’s already clear at this point that I was pleasantly surprised. I found it to be an intelligent film, relying more on the real conversations between the two leads, rather than flashy situations and editing. The simplicity of this film is astounding. Instead of the action that bombards many of the movies we see, Before Sunrise is nothing more than a tour around Vienna while the lead characters talk about love and life. Each of their conversations is unique and offers something to think about. At times their conversations even border on being too philosophical, but these periods are only temporary.
The leads were awesome. Apart from being a really cute couple, they had such great chemistry, keeping their conversations fresh and genuinely funny while giving great insights about their characters. One memorable scene involved these two in the listening booth of a record store where the camera was focussed on them for a full minute simply avoiding each other’s gazes. The actors handled this with subtlety to create a funny and sweet scene out of what could have been rather awkward.
Anyway, I think you get my point ….. Awesome, understated movie that really makes you feel for the characters, hoping that somehow they meet again. There is a sequel which surprisingly is rated pretty well, but whether or not it’s needed I’m not sure.
Before Sunrise; cute, unique film, cute actors, beautiful locations. What more could you want? Totally recommend it!
Find the trailer here.
No comments:
Post a Comment