It's
overall a very simple movie with a unique setting. New York City has
been portrayed idealistically in Hollywood movies where most action,
romance, and disasters take place. New York City has been destroyed
in Roland Emmerich movies, it's been the setting where all the most
fashionable socialites live and mingle, where all the cool companies
taking place in high rise buildings, and it's just simply a place
where all other shenanigans that comes to mind ever happen. In short,
New York City has been represented in every idealistic and dramatized
way as possible.
However,
does the city that never sleeps really never sleep? Before
We Go is the answer. We follow
two strangers who bumped into each other. The core conflict and the
element that triggers the plot of this movie is that, Brooke needs to
go back to Boston before morning. Nick, being a stranger with a
golden heart that he is, is willing to help her. But at night, public
transportation don't operate. Nick and Brooke travel from place to
place as Nick mentions he knows someone who can help Brooke return.
But things happen along the way as that happens, they get to know
each other and help cope each other's problems.
The
movie is just quite realistic in every way, from the interaction of
between Nick and Brooke who start out as strangers to just the
depiction of New York City in general. You must have seen Central
Park, Times Square, Statue of Liberty, at least once in every movie
set there. But this movie has none of that, although it does start
out and end at The Grand Central Terminal. After that, the movie
takes place in an unfamiliar neighborhood, maybe it is familiar if
you live there or you've been there. The movie has the most genuine
representation of New York City at night, like the city is just being
itself, not full of glam, fashion, action, no people screaming when
they see a tidal wave wiping the streets. New York City at night is
just like every other city at night. It's desolated, it turns into
almost an otherworldly place with its night life. It's just like all
the cities we ever visit and know.
As far
as the interaction goes, I also like how realistic it's depicted. I
know it's impossible for someone to fall in love in the course of
four hours (that's the rough length of time the characters spend).
But in my observation, I don't think the characters fall in love.
They find comfort in each other in the midst of their own failing
relationships. Nick goes to New York City to pursue a girl he has loved since college, but fails to woo her.
Brooke finds out her husband is cheating on her. They meet at the
best or the worst time and they heal each other. So that explains the
kiss later in the movie. As for Brooke, later in the movie, we find
out that the reason why she needs to go back to Boston before morning
is because her husband is coming back home early from his trip and
Brooke has written a letter saying she'll leave him. After finding
out they are back together, Brooke desperately wants to go back
before the husband does so he won't see the letter. So I genuinely
feel they are not in love. It's hard to tell. I don't believe in love
at first sight or the fact that love blooms within six hours.
The
ending is probably very well-executed. It doesn't follow a typical
Hollywood romantic ending, where movies often depict two people
falling in love with each other and at the end, they come together
and live happily ever after. That depiction is completely idealistic,
no matter how charming Nick is and you can totally tell that Brooke
falls for his charm. At the end of the movie, Brooke and Nick part
ways, realizing that they have responsibilities to pursue on their
own. In their encounter, within six hours, they give each other life
advice, motivation, and how to cope with their individual issues. As
the movie ends, it's convinced us that each of them now return to
their old lives now that they are stronger than they were before:
fragile and vulnerable. It'll be highly impossible that Brooke, for
example, just decides to leave his husband for Nick after just four
hours of encounter. How would she know that he really is the one for
her? Although, judging from the last scene, I do believe there's a
possibility they'll meet again. We don't know what's written on the
piece of paper. It could be a phone number or better, it can just be
a cheesy line that will always remind Brooke of Nick, and to convince
her that he'll always be there for her.
When I
see reviews or any comments of the movie, people bring up Before
Sunrise starring Julie Delpy and
Ethan Hawke. Some people are convinced the movie is a rip-off version
of what now a trilogy directed by Richard Linklater of Boyhood
(2014). So I'm fueled with the
curiosity and decided to watch Before Sunrise
to see how similar it is to Before We Go.
But honestly, that movie is an imagination of a hopeless romantic
coming to life, like how in the world is that possible? Less than
five minutes into the movie and the girl is already attracted to
Ethan Hawke's character just by his charm and wit. There is barely
any character development along the way and the movie has no plot. It
just follows two individuals who are already attracted to each other
at the beginning of the movie as they stroll around Vienna talking
impromptu stuff (like really, really random). There's no conflict and
whatsoever.
But in
Before We Go, the
interaction feels real. None of the characters are attracted to each
other in the first place. Brooke feels suspicious and uncomfortable
in Nick's presence up to the point she actually gives out a fake name
at the introduction.
Overall,
if you're looking for a movie set in New York, that is not a typical
movie set there, with a bit of a romantic spice with a warm vibe,
I'll highly recommend this movie. If you're looking for a romance
movie that isn't cheesy or as lovey-dovey, then this is the movie you
want to put in your radar. I suggest that you watch this movie after
a long day as you snuggle in your bed, couch, whatever with a cup of
hot chocolate.
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