“Have you ever been in love?” -Céline
Imagine two strangers, in the heat of the moment, decided to escape briefly from their lives and enjoy small talks that would change their life forever. Think about making a simple decision would ripple all through your destiny and possibly changing your course.
I still can’t believe I was 25 years late to know this gem as I’ve always been a sucker for love stories.
Before Sunrise is a witty romantic drama released in 1995, the first part of the so-called “Before trilogy” which includes Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013). As precise as clockwork, each film took nine years before moving on to another one.
I happened to watch the first instalment of the trilogy on my birthday, right when I turned 30. And that question, asked by the leading lady of the film, shocked me to the core.
If I didn’t know any better, I would think that love takes time — maybe around 10 years and million droplets of tears away — and the chemistry showed in the film was pure fiction.
But love has always been a feeling, a human absurdity felt from our tingling fingertips when we touch someone, a small jolt of electricity when we saw someone we barely even knew entering the room, something that doesn’t even need two seconds.
The film started with Céline, a witty, bright French lady, meeting Jesse, a seemingly careless American on a train in Europe. Call it kismet, both decided to have a conversation and ended up in Vienna together for a night out.
One thing led to another. It was not the flirtatious gestures, it was never about the beers or the wines. It’s the slow but light-speed process of knowing someone from conversations and falling in love to that someone.
I might be biased but I like this film. I recently took that chance, of trusting the universe and engage in conversations with someone I’ve known for a while but somehow remained like a stranger during that time. Saying “we’re not strangers anymore” is awfully an understatement.
To answer that first question, I’d answer just as Jesse did, “Yes.”
