Before Sunset

i don't know how Linklater has given me another fucking 5 star, but i js gotta accept it. a perfect sequel, a perfect film, perfectly written and acted characters. this is an insane work of art. it's relatable, it's tragic, it's bittersweet, and literally everything in between. every conversation leading from one to the next feels so authentic. it's just honestly so so difficult for me to put together that this was a written piece of work that is being acted out. it's a perfect crescendo all the way leading to both of their rants in the car, and then to the quiet romance in the apartment again. those final 2 lines are delivered so spectacularly. it just feels so weird how emotionally mature this film is, and how relatable it feels in so many points. I've never seen another film speak this authentically and dig this deep into life and feelings and relationships in the way this does. there were so many points in this where they're saying something so relatable that I'm just sat there nodding and agreeing like I'm watching a ted talk on life or some shit. I don't know how Linklater (and Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke cos they co-wrote too) is able to put these massive topics into words so beautifully. if Before Sunrise is the fantasy then Before Sunset is very much the aftermath reality. also thought that the sense of urgency this movie has was really great filmmaking. I already went in seeing the 80 minute runtime knowing it'd be quick. but then the entire movie revolves around a single hour and a half of their time, and every now and then they keep mentioning Jesse's flight and he needs to go and blah blah. I just kept getting pissed off because of how finite and urgent the film felt and i thought I'd end the movie thinking everything was so rushed and wrapped up. but then i realised that that is actually a core part of the movie. this movie is really about looking back to the past and our constant anxiety about "what if" scenarios and how finite our time is. we're always going from one thing to the next as quickly as possible and never stopping to really figure out what we want the most. which is exactly what they did. he got married to someone he doesn't really love and she barely even believes in love anymore. they're just going along because of pressure and expectations and the need to keep up and keep going. the reason why there's constant interjections of Jesse's flight and whatnot is because Linklater never lets us get absorbed into the fantasy again; he keeps it grounded throughout. Sunset is the reality to Sunrise's fantasy. he always brings us back to the realisation that this relationship is not actually real, and both of these people are way more fucked up and pessimistic now than they were 10 years ago. crazy cinematic work honestly. but I'm glad he lets it slow down in the end and lets both us and the characters just enjoy that moment in the apartment. they're not having a massive conversation about life and the magic of the universe (as they said they would if it was their last day), but instead are completely absorbed in the moment. playing music, listening to music, dancing, and missing flights with no worry. insanely amazing movie. on par or probably even better than the first.