I had never seen Before Sunrise before tonight. Judge me all you like, but it’s the truth. Last weekend I was in Dublin for a gig and to visit some friends, one of whom hid it on another friend’s bookshelf and then texted me once he’d left to give me a clue that it was there. He probably didn’t want to get caught trafficing sappy films or something. He’d mentioned it to me recently, and said that it seemed like the kind of film I’d enjoy.

And from the first scenes of neatly ordered european scenery flashing past a train, it caught me right up in itself.

It’s probably because I’m a sucker for what-ifs. Those almost connections that don’t quite latch on completely, the ones that taste of what might be, and turn into what might have been after no time at all. I’ve met a few of those, while travelling. But circumstances, shyness, alcohol and whatever else could think to intrude, usually managed to disrupt the connection, with one or two notable exceptiions.

It’s been a while now though. I’m not sure I can connect to a stranger anymore unless there’s a computer screen involved. In one of the scenes, Julie Delpy’s character talks about being in idyllic situations but knowing you’re with the wrong person. I’ve been letting that happen to me of late. But is it better to experience the situation anyway, knowing the person you’re with isn’t quite the right one? Or should you let the moment slip past because it won’t have the just-right feeling it deserves?