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Possibly, very possibly, the most romantic movies I have seen, this one and its sequel.

Anil told me about it first, when I was in IIM Calcutta, sitting bleary-eyed in his room and burning truckloads of divX movies. “Very good movie”, he said, “Came out quite sometime back, not really a big hit or anything, but I liked it.” “What’s it about?”, I remember asking, and when he said it’s a romantic movie, I almost did not copy it to disc. But I did. And promptly forgot all about it until last November, when Prashant and I, walking down MG Road to the nearest Citibank ATM. ( Later, we found out that there was one right on Brigade road, and we needn’t have walked all the way, but I guess if we hadn’t, this conversation wouldn’t have occurred, and I wouldn’t have been writing this line.) We were talking movies, and from a long critique of Baise Moi, which appeared as a half-brained copy of Thelma and Louise, to talking about Susan Sarandon films and then to women-oriented ones, Uma Thurman and Kill Bill included, he suddenly asked me whether I had seen this movie. I had not, of course, and so for the next half an hour, I was given a from-the-heart lecture on it. Damn, all of a sudden I wished I had my divX movies here with me.

kvk mentioned it a couple of days later, and also mentioned that the sequel had just come out. What was this – the world seems to have seen this film before me, and everybody loved it! Something had to be done, and the next time I was in National Market, I asked them if this was around. I was shown a trashy Pierce Brosnan flick that had a similar name. Bleh. A couple of days later, Prashant found the sequel while rummaging around for Tarantino movies. “Give it a miss, it’s sure to be a camera-print version”, I suggested. He didn’t listen to me, thank the Lord.

So the other day, I was hanging around all alone in the house, a little too tired to watch a high-octane action movie, and a little too downbeat for a comedy. Let me watch something I generally wouldn’t watch, I thought. The only romantic movie around was the sequel, and ok, I watched it. Finished it. Watched the Making of-documentary ( it wasn’t a camera print, after all) Watched the film again, wishing all the while I was in Hyderabad.

I found the first movie at National Market a couple of days later, but it was part of a combination, and I didn’t really want to buy it that way. So I waited. Yesterday, Sasi went a little berserk at all the Bergman/Truffaut movies he saw there – and he ended up buying the combo-DVD as well. And so, as Mark Knopfler was playing at Palace Grounds, 2 kilometers away from where I live, I watched The Movie. Possibly, very possibly, the most romantic movies I have seen, this one and its sequel. Oh, did I just repeat myself?

Some of the conversations in the first movie sound contrived, I agree. It appears too easy, too spontaneous. But it’s beautiful. The second film is not perfect, but the way it takes the theme of urgency even further – it’s shot almost in real-time, and yes, the soundtrack *sigh*. The dialogues are a wee bit more realistic, maybe because the two lead stars chipped in with their own lines? Some of the lines make so much sense now after the first movie. The ending? There could have been no other.

Just for the record, I plan to watch both the movies again. Back to back. And with the right person.

Let me sing you a waltz /
Out of nowhere, out of my thoughts /
Let me sing you a waltz /
About this one night stand /
You were, for me, that night /
Everything I always dreamt of in life /
But now you’re gone /
You are far gone /
All the way to your island of rain /
It was for you just a one night thing /
But you were much more to me, just so you know /
I don’t care what they say /
I know what you meant for me that day /
I just want another try, I just want another night /
Even if it doesn’t seem quite right /
You meant for me much more than anyone I’ve met before /
One single night with you, little Jesse, is worth a thousand with anybody /
I have no bitterness, my sweet /
I’ll never forget this one night thing /
Even tomorrow in other arms, my heart will stay yours until I die /
Let me sing you a waltz /
Out of nowhere, out of my blues /
Let me sing you a waltz /
About this lovely one night stand

*Sigh*

If anyone wants this song, pass mail-id.

Standard

48 thoughts on “

    • Hmm. Tough question. I like the first movie because of the quirky conversations, the surprising milk-shake poem, and the ending. I like the second one because of the quirky conversations, the Waltz song and the ending.

      Gah. I can’t decide.

    • Eh? was the one who clued me in to the sequel, and the soundtrack. “Sexy songs by Julie Delpy”, he said. I ripped the song from the DVD on his laptop.

  1. Anonymous says:

    These two ARE the most romantic movies ever made…and I actually did stop myself from watching it too when I heard that term used for it. Glad that good sense prevailed. Would have liked to get that question put to me in the Lone Wolf though.

  2. Anonymous says:

    These two ARE the most romantic movies ever made…and I actually did stop myself from watching them too when I heard that term used for them. Glad that good sense prevailed. Would have liked to get that question put to me in the Lone Wolf though.
    Btw hope you enjoyed your sojourn up north, and reached back safe and sound. Thanks for two great quizzes.

    Arnav

    • Enjoyed myself thoroughly in Delhi, yes, and as the lj-post proves, am back indeed.

      Would have liked to get that question put to me in the Lone Wolf though.

      Figured that out from your woe-begone face after the answer was given out. :)

    • What I can’t figure out is that how *everyone* I know, who has seen the movie/s, loved it/them. That has to be some kind of a record!

  3. Cute one…this song. Before Sunset was cool. And so was Before Sunrise.
    And you are right about the ending. It was the only way… somehow it left me kinda bittersweet…

    • Anonymous says:

      cool

      ok…cool…so the world is indeed afterall discovering these two movies! In my case, i saw half an hour of the prequel late one night, then saw the somplete sequeal next day. But having realised that these are actully two different movies, went on to see the complete first part and then followed itup with second part again :) Wondeful movies, wonderful song…infact the one during the credits that follows this is too good too.

  4. Try and find a copy of “Waking Life”, also by Linklater. I haven’t seen it, yet, but it’s supposed to be good. I gather it’s a series of vignettes, all animated (I think each animated in a different style), but one of the vignettes focusses on Celine and Jesse.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Are you talking about Jurassic Park or Leathal Weapon yaar ? Abba what double meaning write ups you do yaar !!

  6. Anonymous says:

    hey! i liked these movies very much (i watched them several times), especially Julie Delpy and her songs.i got 3 songs, but if you have more i thought maybe you could share them? just in case i’m leaving you my email aydarzzz@mail.ru

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