If you want to know an example of what I consider to be a perfect series, look no further than the dynamic duo of Before Sunrise and Before Sunset. I seriously adore these two films about love. Perhaps that's part of their genius. They are very much about love, though not exactly love stories. It's the tale of Celine and Jesse, who spend one night together in Vienna after making a rash decision as strangers to see how things went. Both young, they spend the night and fall for each other, but still don't know if things can last. The sequel picks up nine years later when they happen to meet again in Paris at a book signing. They spend a couple of hours reexamining their flame and what it might mean now.
In the end, the two were brilliant companion pieces following these characters in two days over the course of a decade. By the end of Before Sunset, I was amazingly happy and completely satisfied. As far as I'm concerned, that's one of the best endings to any film, especially any series. Did I want more? No. Hell no. There are some stories that are too perfect to be tampered with; this is very much one of them. The original mystique of a sequel to Before Sunrise provided a tricky but ultimately intriguing idea - what happened to these two? Are they together? Are they strangers? Did their brief love last? The sequel answered these questions magnificently while also provided a very telling look into Celine and Jesse's more mature, older selves.
In the end, the two were brilliant companion pieces following these characters in two days over the course of a decade. By the end of Before Sunset, I was amazingly happy and completely satisfied. As far as I'm concerned, that's one of the best endings to any film, especially any series. Did I want more? No. Hell no. There are some stories that are too perfect to be tampered with; this is very much one of them. The original mystique of a sequel to Before Sunrise provided a tricky but ultimately intriguing idea - what happened to these two? Are they together? Are they strangers? Did their brief love last? The sequel answered these questions magnificently while also provided a very telling look into Celine and Jesse's more mature, older selves.
