Before Sunrise and Before Sunset

[rhythmaning]

I gave my wife these two films as a gift for St Valentine’s Day, and we watched them both this weekend – Before Sunrise last night, and Before Sunset this evening.

I had seen Before Sunrise when it first came out, and I loved it; it left a strong impression on me – a very simple film, just two people talking, though most of the detail I had forgotten – did they kiss? what city was it? what actually happened? In my mind, it was a film where – well, nothing happened.

So it was a bit strange watching it last night: almost apprehensive; not least because I thought I loved the movie, but couldn’t remember what actually happened; and here I was, giving to my wife… as a Valentine’s gift. So what if she didn’t enjoy it, or didn’t get it?

Well, she loved it; and it really is a lovely film. The feeling of the movie is much as I remembered; and nothing much happens. The whole movie is just two people speaking. True, they are two beautiful film stars – Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy; but all they do is talk: that is the film, just them talking. And it makes for a wonderful movie, warm, sensuous, optimistic, romantic.

Tonight we watched Before Sunset. Same idea, different city: just Hawke and Delpy talking for ninety minutes. That is all. And it is even better than Before Sunrise. It makes Paris look wonderful (memo to self: revisit Paris! Hang out in cafes! Buy books in Shakespear & Co [where the movie starts]! Fall in love! Though I have done all those things. Write a book about it!)

Fascinatingly, there is no music on either soundtrack – well, the last couple of minutes of Before Sunset feature a Nina Simone song, but apart from that, it is just the sounds of the cities, and Hawke and Delpy talking.

But most importantly, my wife loved these movies. This was great because I had given them to her, and it would have been awful if she hadn’t liked them (though I was pretty certain she would). And I loved them too, so it kind of reaffirms everything.

The films are both so simple – and yet so complex. I guess that is people, huh?