Note - I am trying to keep spoilers to a minimum here so I will suggest you watch the Before trilogy and then come again to read from a new lens.

I can't remember who suggested this movie to me, but I do remember - why this film intrigued me. The person mentioned that the whole movie is just two people talking, and the podcaster inside me couldn't stop. As I saw these two random strangers talking, I remembered how I feel during an honest conversation where I opened up rather than try to hide.

The other fascinating fact is that these three movies came out in 1995, 2004, and 2013. They kept a gap of 9 years between each film and the same amount of time passed in the three instalments of this trilogy.

All these factors pushed me to watch the first part - Before Sunrise.

Before Sunrise

We meet so many people in this world. Some of them are boring and some are toxic but there are few people with whom we truly connect. Before Sunrise is the story of that connection when Celine and Jesse meet for the first time.

I have felt that connection with a few people in my life, and I am glad some of them are still my friends. Maybe because we were supposed to connect or I met the right person at the right time. But it is not about why the connection is there but where the connection can lead to.

Celine and Jesse talk to each other not because they have to, but because they feel a connection. This connection helps them have a conversation that’s genuine and not forced, and that’s why it’s so fulfilling to watch.

In the limited time they have, they are trying to open up rather than trying to hide who they are. They trust each other and are vulnerable even though they met for the first time. They are not talking about their life but more about how they think about life.

Most relationships start like this only. You don’t know the reason, but you feel connected to someone and act like you have known them for years. You talk to them because you enjoy it rather than trying to get something out of them. You talk about your life to most people, but with this person - you share your way of seeing the world. This is what we also call an initial spark or the honeymoon period.

The initial spark of a connection is great, but the fact is that reality will hit you sooner or later, and that takes us to Before Sunset.

Before Sunset

As the magic of connection fades away, reality creeps in. Before Sunset is all about whether the connection will survive the test of reality or not. It is a small fight between the dream-like connection and the brutal reality.

There is still a certain level of comfort in the way they talk after 9 years but the conversations are now different. They are not talking about how they think about love, god, death and life. Now, they are talking about what their life is and what it has become.

As the movie progresses, they share how disappointed they are in their love lives and how they have given up on the whole idea of love. There is friction in the way they talk - as Celine blames Jesse in the car, and Jesse is disappointed in her a little for what happened to their promise. The connection is still there but the reality is making it harder for them to act on that connection.

And this is what happens in a relationship. The honeymoon period is over and now the same stupid things you used to like are irritating. You start to see the person for who they are and not through the lens of perfection. You also take the other person for granted to some extent and other things take priority. The connection is still there but the real question is - how far the connection can take us?

That brings us to Before Midnight. Before you read further, I suggest you watch the movies as I am going to give a lot of spoilers in the next part.

Before Midnight

The connection is ultimately defeated sooner or later, and all that’s left is reality. This is what Before Midnight is all about. The connection can get us into the ride but it doesn’t help us navigate the way.

Jesse and Celine are now together, and again the conversations are shifted further towards reality. They are talking about the hectic life they are in, and how they have surrendered themselves to reality. Celine is even questioning whether Jesse loves her anymore or will continue to love her as she gets older. By the second half of the movie, the couple we saw talking about everything respectfully are now fighting for the first time. We see how hard reality has hit them, and how dissatisfied they are with the situation they are in. The wall of trust is now weak and they are questioning each other’s loyalty. And at last Celine storms out.

This is not the end Celine and Jesse want, and even we don’t want it to end like this. At a time when everything seems lost, Jesse handles Celine. He says - “This is real life. It's not perfect, but it's real. And if you can't see it, then you're blind, all right.” and shows that - maybe the otherworldly, dream-like connection is gone, but the connection is still there. This connection is much better than the connection they had before as it is rooted in reality and will always pass the test of time. Their connection has taken up a different meaning.

And I think relationships in our lives are similar. Sometimes, the connection takes us on a ride but reality hits hard to break the connection, and sometimes the connection evolves to stay forever. In the case of Celine and Jesse, their connection evolved and they navigated the ride successfully.

Similarly, you will find people in life and connect with them. Most of the time, you will either lose the connection or reality won’t allow the connection. But one day, the connection will evolve itself to fit the reality and it will stay forever.

Last Thoughts

I have said a lot about this movie and I hope I convinced some of you to watch it. I am young and I probably don’t know anything about love but I think Before Trilogy is the closest portrayal of a real relationship I have seen. I only hope that more people get to see it.

Thanks for reading and cut!

Don’t forget to subscribe to get more such e-mails directly in your inbox. And share it with your cinephile friends.