I’ve been looking forward to this challenge entry for a few days now. When I saw it I knew exactly at that very moment which love story I was going to pick. The only doubt I had would be whether or not I would be able to give the love in the films the justice it deserved.

Before Sunrise and Before Sunset are two films that tell the story of Jessie and Celine. The first film starts with the two of them meeting on a train heading from Bratislava to Paris and them getting off in Vienna to spend a day and night just walking around and talking.

From the first moment they start talking the realise they have a connection and, as the movie goes on, you can actually see them falling in love with each other. The information they share, the way in which they expose their souls to each other, and the perfect comfort the have with each other is amazing to behold.

Jessie and Celine spend the day talking about life, death, art, culture, everything. They meet people along the way and joke and tease each other. The connection is real. The connection is rare. The connection is beautiful.

I don’t really want to say too much about the story because I implore you to watch both films. They’re truly amazing and are certainly worth your time. The second film is set nine years later and follows a very similar structure to the first film - almost identical.

What I love about both films is the genuineness of the characters and the realness of it all. These are two people who are on the precipice of life and have real hopes, fears, aspirations, and worries. Even with all that they’re able to connect with another person on so many different levels. They’re able to see something in another person that sticks with them.

There are a few lines in the second film where Jessie and Celine talk about the impact they’ve had on each others’ lives and it’s heartbreaking. It really is profound what a person can mean to another even when you’ve only shared… I’m not going to finish that thought because I want you to watch the films!

I remember that it was in the first film where Celine tells Jessie about her grandmother and her life and how it was. She tells him about her whole life she was married and happy and had children and grandchildren but the whole time she was in love with some guy who she knew years ago. It’s kind of foreshadowing. There are so many layers to their personalities and what makes them, them. The characters are so engrossing and you relate to both of them in different ways at points in the films.

Richard Linklater wrote and directed both films. He actually based the first story on a night he spent walking and talking to a woman in Philadelphia.

It’s such a beautiful story.

Please watch these movies. Everyone will find something to love about them.