Before Sunset

99/100 Still very much my favorite movie of all time, but I noticed with the Criterion Blu-ray that there’s the occasional distracting glare in some scenes. It’s nothing that ruins the movie — just a slight nitpick, especially since everything else in the film is absolutely fantastic. This movie still has a hypnotic power over me, and the conversations remain just as interesting as the last time I watched them. As much as I love the fantastical nature of Before Sunrise and the realistic perspective of Before Midnight, Before Sunset’s mix of both makes it even more interesting to me. This is a moment in their lives where they’re not too naïve nor fully struck by the harsh realities of life, but they’re still flawed and sensitive. Watching them reunite and talk about their newfound interests and learnings is absolutely magical to me. Yes, they’re cheating on their spouses, and that usually ruins some films for me (specifically Love and Basketball), but here it makes sense. Do I agree with their decision? No way. But in this movie, it fits with how the characters are written. These aren’t perfect people, and the film doesn’t shy away from acknowledging that they’re kind of selfish.