The best "cinema" of 1995

Rating: 9/10 (15 November 2004)

Out of 350 films that I had managed to see that year, "Before Sunrise" caught my attention, imagination and passion for the true cinematic art. It rose above the other entries of the year to stand out as my number one pick of 1995.
The thought of finding oneself in a foreign country and discovering the country with a beautiful stranger is a fantasy I think many people can relate to and wish upon themselves. The exotic location of Vienna is a perfect setting for the adventures of two university students meeting up during the last days of their summer vacation. Their discovery of each other is matched beautifully with the sights and scenes of the city, getting wonderful vistas as the couple walks around discovering tings about themselves, each other, and the world that they have been born into.
Obviously what makes this film work is the chemistry between the actors. Them seem genuinely interested in each other and throughout the film you want to learn more about them and hope that there is some foreshadowing of what might happen to them in the coming years. But, until 2004, all you had was the 105 mins of them together, walking and talking through the streets. Some might consider this to be a boring way to spend their time, but I think being within the age group of the actors I could relate to many of their conversations and ideals. SO very few films these days are dialogue driven so this was a very refreshing treat indeed.
I have seen this film about 5 times and it was like rediscovering it each time. Only the last time did it seem to lose a bit of it's mystery when I knew that it's sequel "Before Sunset" was being released this summer. And as you may have already guessed it's sequel is currently in the running for my favorite picture of the year.