If you’re a hopeless romantic, your movie selections probably entail a collection of sappy, cliché, boy-meets-girl films. There’s certainly nothing wrong with looking past the predictability of a love story. Some romance films are so good, however, that you don’t really have to look past the numerous flaws. One of those films is “Before Sunrise.”

It spawned two sequels, including the most recent, “Before Midnight” in 2013.

The series features Ethan Hawke as an American tourist falling for French beauty Julie Delpy. Richard Linklater’s 1995 script is likely the best romance screenplay ever written.

The characters spend one day together in Vienna discussing their personal philosophies, flirting and exploring the sights. The result is an unfathomably well thought-out and poetic film with characters so real you’d think it was based on a true story. Maybe that’s the underlying charm. The film is so dialogue-driven and earnest that you feel like you’re watching two strangers actually fall in love.

Some viewers will think that summer romances never work, and the characters will part ways. Others, like myself, see the beauty and rarity in their chance meeting and instant connection. The amazing thing about “Before Sunrise” is that both sides win. You really decide for yourself if the couple lasts past sunrise or simply experiences the beauty of a summer fling.

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