"The concept is absurd. The idea that we can only be complete with another person is evil! Right?"

This post is brought to you by the latest trend on Facebook: MarriageBot, which basically predicts your possible future spouses and ranks them. Wow. And, it's not even one of those insanely dumb quizzes. It just randomly gives you a list of people based on things you've done on Facebook. I do not wish to try it b/c it seems like just another one of those ridiculous, trivial applications that define the almighty Facebook.
It's strange that a dumb Facebook application somehow relates to two films I watched recently. I finally got around to seeing Before Sunrise and its sequel Before Sunset (the origin of this post's ridiculously long title). I won't mention too much about the plot; it's not what this post is about. The first film deals with two strangers in Vienna, an American guy, Jesse (Ethan Hawke), and a French girl, Céline (Julie Delpy). They spend one enchanted night wandering around the city, talking about not only themselves, but their philosophical beliefs and opinions on a variety of topics. Both are rather cynical about the idea of romance, true love and its possibilities. But, they realize they share a connection but have such a limited amount of time together since Jesse has a plane to catch in the morning. The sequel picks up the story nine years later, where the two meet by chance in Paris. Things have inevitably changed over the years. An unhappily married Jesse has written a novel based on that night in Vienna, and Paris is the last stop on his book tour. Céline lives in Paris and works as an environmental activist while going in and out of unsuccessful relationships. However, the cynical mindsets still remain, and they are eager to reconnect.
One of the overall themes in both films is the idea that perhaps brief encounters are better than prolonged relationships. Maybe people inevitably grow dissatisfied and sick of each other; the only reason people stay together is b/c they are expected to do so. And yet, a lot of people these days focus their lives on finding their one true love, using all kinds of tactics like eHarmony and all those online dating services. (Let's hope people don't have to start taking MarriageBot seriously!) Some idiots even secretly fly to Argentina and make up a story about hiking on the Appalachian Trail. What they don't realize is that the idea of that one person you're destined to be with could be just a load of b.s. Society tends to idealize this concept.
I know I, too, am a cynic when it comes to romance, but I'm not saying that long term commitment is impossible. I'm just trying to point out that people take great strides just to find someone that will probably disappoint them eventually. They can't always be happy together.
To take a more optimistic side, I guess people shouldn't try so hard to find love and let it come to them instead. It might take them by surprise: They might find a connection simply by chance. One thing is for sure: There are few people in the world that you'll find a true connection with, so don't let them pass you by like in the case of Jesse and Céline.
In the meantime, I highly recommend Before Sunrise and Before Sunset. Although both are largely conversational, particularly the latter, they will definitely give you something to ponder afterward and will linger in your mind for a while. These are two refreshing flicks that abandon the usual gimmicks romance films constantly employ. Instead of idealizing romance, Before Sunrise and Before Sunset provide characters that are real people with real problems. The luminous Delpy and charming Hawke share undeniable chemistry, and the witty dialogue and truthful themes make everything both lively and meaningful. In general, I think they are two lovely little flicks. On the other hand, my pondering seems more appropriate for a conversation over coffee in a café on a cold day rather than on a humid August afternoon. Oh well.

Before Sunset