Before Sunrise

Seemed overly pretentious and cliche but in such a raw way, both characters are painfully flawed. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the stuff Celine said about criticizing people for not caring about a war 1000 kilometers from there when she too is complicit and equally unhelpful. Same with Jesse and his stupid neglected puppy-eyed little boy shtick, But still, I couldn't help but love them both. Sometimes when they spoke, it felt so honest, like I was watching a private conversation I wasn't supposed to hear, eavesdropping or maybe walking in on something. As beautiful as Julie Delpy is in this film, in such a cool and uncaring way, I also found her deeply deeply relatable in how she was trying not to overestimate the guy at the other end, worrying in how awkward she was, and just not wanting to do too much with someone who has to leave and how much being loved really, really meant to her. I mean Jesse too, when he says that being with Celine is like being someone else. Sometimes when you're with someone you love, it feels outside of yourself, like you're some "Viennese variation of a bum" to quote him. Not yourself, but rather some more poetic version like the poet begger, A little twist on who you are most of the time (which according to Jesse is necessary as to not hate oneself). Immaculate timing as this put so many things I've been thinking about recently into a film as to make me feel like I'm not crazy. If even for a bit, one night or a whole summer or a couple years, loving someone is never a waste even if it has to end.