Before Sunset

I finally watched Before Sunset. I'd have watched it sooner if it hadn't been positively mentioned by someone I didn't particularly liked (though it turns out even petty stupid people can have good taste). It is possibly, following Wit, the most crappingly good movie I've watched ever.

It's like... the best things about Wit and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in a single reel, minus all the bad points, and with travel-in-Europe thrown in for good measure! (shudders in pleasure)

Do not watch Before Sunset if you haven't watched Before Sunrise.

Do not watch either Befores if you are a (romantic) cynic and intend to talk to me about this movie.

Do not watch either movie if you are the kind of person who likes big explosions, fast cars and cannot stand movies with no special effects budget and just features two people talking all the time (ie. the kind of person who should be drowned). There are no ninjas, martial artists, people-in-strange-suits, superpowers or plastic-monsters here.

It's not so often that movies move me like this. And partly I guess it's because I want to like it - I want to believe that something like this can happen and that it's not impossible for magic to happen (which is so intelligently pre-empted for you in the film). It's a romance flick, but easily one of the most intelligent movies I've ever watched (discounting documentaries). I think screenplays like that are what should win prizes.

I got so excited about the movie I went and checked out the message boards and there it was - a cynic who'd posted something about the conversation being too unrealistic, and that people usually say something stupid in situations like this or are mostly silent and don't know what to say. Whilst I'd agree that it is difficult to find someone whith whom you can click with just like that, I wouldn't say it's impossible. And then sometimes you don't expect it, but then it happens. I have had conversations with people that lasted for hours and hours on end, and it just kept coming.

And it was great - because you really feel like you're connecting with someone, and that you're not quite so alone in this world anymore, even if it's just for a little while.

It's shows like this, really, that make me sad that I had to watch it alone. In a way because there's no immediate way to gratify your desire to communicate your approval for the performance (explains this post) whereas if you liked it in the cinema you could at least clap (Or in the case of Singapore, not whip out your handphone immediately after to make a call). It's like some primal part of me is missing from my life, that I can't communicate that there-is-something-good-here to my fellow man.

Errrm. Fanboy alert.

Okay, I'm supposed to go study philosophy now. Just that it was so wonderful.