Before Sunrise (1995)

★★★★½

I wish I had seen this movie in 1995 when it came out - I was in college then - because this is the perfect movie to see in that time of your life when backpacking around Europe is something you're looking forward to doing, when you have dreams of a new romantic relationship, when meeting people is easy, philosophical conversations are commonplace, and you're just trying to figure out who you are and what the world is all about and where you fit in in that world.

This movie is basically one long, really romantic first date. It consists almost entirely of two people simply conversing, getting to know each other, and there are extended, continuous scenes with both characters in front of the camera. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy do a really good job in that their characters do seem to become more and more comfortable with each other as the movie progresses.

I especially liked the pinball scene. Ethan Hawke's observations about break-ups probably rang true for anyone who has ever been on both sides of a break-up.

Ultimately, I can see how this movie might make a really big impression on a young twenty-something starting out. For me - older, married, with kids - it kindled in me more a feeling of nostalgia, and even a sense of sorrow, or pity, knowing that these two young people will probably one day be disillusioned. Maybe that is part of the brilliance of this movie - that your opinion of it can be so much influenced by your own experiences and where you yourself are in life.

I really liked the ending of this movie, and without giving anything away, I'll just say that I think it leaves you with a sense of hope, even if there is also some bittersweetness.