Good but For Arthouse romance, Twilight Samurai all the way

Rating: 7/10 (11 August 2004)

Before sunset
My wife and I basically cut this deal the other day. She picked a romantic movie and I picked one. Over two days we would watch them. With both picked films that either were playing at the art house or had played there at one time. She had picked Before sunset and I picked Twilight Samurai. For that reason I will have sadly and unfairly compared the two films.
Before sunset is a romantic comedy that is basically an experiment. Two one night stand vet's reunite after 10 years and we watch there 80 minute conversation in real time. The direction and acting pull off this concept in a way that works. (Spoiler in the next paragraph) The conversation flows, and Julie d.'s character is worth falling in love with, imagine many people watching did as well. Ethan Hawke's character I am not so sure about, He loves his kid. Is it fair that he feels this way when he has wife back in New York. Maybe she is unhappy about the marriage maybe she is not.
For my indie romantic dime I would have to stay with Twilight Samurai. TS is a film whose love story is charming, sweet and more importantly Guilt free.