Seemingly polar opposites in their cinematic construction but thematically, these two films lend themselves each to one side of a bitter coin: bitter, and more bitter. In no way is nostalgia an essential or an intended part of either, yet the sweetness of youth remains fleeting regardless of region or era. It doesn’t matter what one’s plans are post-graduation, both films prod their viewership with urgent questions: is nostalgia the seductive trap great minds have warned us about, blinding black holes to which there is no escape? Is there a way to reverse the psychological damage it can create? Would Jim Levenstein have gotten laid faster if he hung out with Parisian teens? All of these questions can and will be answered.