Review of Before Sunrise

This movie is a cult classic for a reason, a reason I can't firmly grasp nor articulate for that matter. On the surface, it is just your ordinary guy meets girl traveling and they fall in love script. Hardly original and only superficially interesting unless it happens to you, but it captures that mood exceptionally well, that feeling which we get when we're on the verge of starting something new, meeting that someone who gives us renewed hope to live and love again, when we're slowly but surely convinced that this is a turning point, a new chapter in our journey through life. It is a unique accomplishment to do this in a way that doesn't come off as either cynical or corny. To witness these young people inadvertently and carelessly take the steps which would deviate them from the path of their pre-arranged course is an empowering experience, no matter how you think their stories would unfold. As our heroine states, "it must be in the attempt of understanding someone sharing something.... the answer must be in the attempt".

In this day and age of cynicism above all, Before Sunrise blossoms as the wild flower of optimism and innocence cracking through the cement pavement. The movie does all this as it also manages to walk around, through and over certain subjects which have puzzled us all at some point or another, in casual conversations had by our fresh couple, helped by beautiful scenery of Vienna and exceptional music by artists which span generations of lovers. Before Sunrise is one of those movies which can be best described as an experience in and of itself. I certainly hope it will continue to inspire.