To be Treasured

Rating: 10/10 (6 April 2006)

The two movies happened to me. I say happened to me because watching them was like going through an experience. Also because i chanced upon them each time. I had seen 'Before Sunrise' years ago when surfing through the channels i had stopped catching something interesting in the way Ethan Hawk was looking at July. It was the scene when they first meet on the train. I enjoyed the film and remembered it as one remembers distant but good memories. Years later in college a friend of mine saw Before Sunset and was raving about it. I said I had seen the film thinking that he was talking about Before Sunrise. It took me a while to realize that a sequel had been made of the film. And this time, it was a revelation.
Yes the film can stand alone as a story, but it would be a shame not to watch the prequel before watching this one. Brilliant acting and dialogs coupled with a most plausible situation that could be a day out of any body's life. Here I am talking about the start of the day. Unexpected meeting with a past. Something that had meant a lot. Which still probably means a lot. But would you acknowledge it immediately? Would you not want to find out if there was still any hope left? I would. And that is why I love this film. It gives you hope that chances missed due to bad luck, or pure bad judgment could still be had again. The idea is romantic and the presentation is probably the most mature presentation of it. This very fact saves the film from being sappy or overly romantic. The dialogs, the interplay, the advances are all so real and so well thought out that it must take a pair of extremely gifted actors to play well. Our actors do that and still manage to keep the proceedings interesting. It must require extraordinary skill and chemistry. Awards do not matter here i think as the film has been made out of pure creative urge. Just the fact that such a captivating yet subtle film exists must be a triumph for everyone involved. And a memorable experience for the viewer given he watches it at the right point in life.