9

9. Before Sunset
I can't remember when I first heard that a sequel to Before Sunrise was being planned, but I'm pretty sure that the suggestion didn't fill me with hope. I'm pretty sure I must have thought that the prospect of it being anything other than an embarrassment was preposterous (though, as I said, I can't remember.) I loved Before Sunrise, you see; for its believability, and for its longing. And it was very much a film about young people. How could a sequel possibly recapture those emotions so many years after? Well, clearly it did, or else it wouldn't be at number 9 on my list, would it? Let's start with the believability thing then. I remember someone telling me that they didn't like Before Sunrise because they hated the two main characters. However, for me one of the film's great strengths was its willingness to allow these characters to be somewhat unlikeable. Sure, they are clearly a pair of self-obsessed cocks, but that's a fairly common ailment. I recognised their self-absorption, as much as I recognised everything else about them: the way they talk, flirt, lie. And Before Sunset recreates this all perfectly: these guys are still self-obsessed cocks, and they still talk, flirt, and lie in a way that I see around me all time. For better or worse (ie. for worse) this is my generation. These are my people. These are my cocks. And the longing, oh the longing. For me these films speak as much of wanting to be in love as they do of wanting somebody in particular. Somehow, it recaptures this feeling; despite all that they have made for themselves in the past nine years, Jesse and Celine still want to recklessly abandon themselves to their hearts. You might not like these people, you surely wouldn't want to love either of them, but falling in love the way that they do looks pretty appealing. Seeing that this desire - for each other, sure, but more for life itself I think - is still there after all those years, gives me an odd aching sensation in the middle of my chest whenever I see this film. Possibly it's trapped wind, possibly it's something else.