I would have loved to see their wedding day.
It was summer of '94 when Jesse and Celine first met on a train for Vienna. On that fateful day, they knew it was love they had but eventually, they had to take different paths as soon as the sun rose. After a failed tryst, nine years have passed and Jesse was in France for a book tour and there they meet again. Before sunset, Jesse had to decide if he was to stay with Celine or catch that plane back to the United States. Finally after nine years, Jesse is at the airport bidding his son from his ex-wife goodbye going to the US. Here we learn that he did stay with Celine before sunset nine years ago and to everyone's surprise, they are now parents to twin daughters and are on a vacation in Greece.
Just like the previous films, the movie mainly comprises of Jesse and Celine walking around in some place, this time Greece, and talking about their life and views on all the things this world has to offer. What makes it different though is that first of all, before they go on with their one on one conversation, they now have other people with them to join their conversation. Just like married couple do. Talking to other couples and exchanging notes and ideas on how they live their married life. Just like the movie Before Sunset, this film offers quite a development of its characters. The trilogy runs on a concept that all of the films take place in real time with real people. So given this fact, indeed, nine years have passed since Before Sunset and no human being would not change after nine years. Especially after getting married. So what this film shows is the life that couples go through once they are married.
As established, Jesse and Celine are no longer just a couple, they are now husband and wife and parents to twin daughters. Just like any couple do, especially the married ones, they would fight over things such as jobs, fidelity, hierarchy, sex and a whole lot more. Their type of conversation is now different from what it was compared to the first time they met on the train and the time they met again in France. One of the most memorable conversations they had was probably the one in the beginning of the film. After bickering about Celine's plan of changing her job, they proceeded to talk about a friend of theirs and his love life. I find it really funny since never did they talk about any other couple in the first two films. One can say that this comes naturally at the point where people are already married and talking about other people's relationships can be a good and interesting subject matter.
The film, as expected, is still philosophical and psychological as ever. There were lots of things they talked about and one conversation was entirely devoted to the evolution of love. The conversation in that scene was very interesting since they had prepared a conversation between a young couple, a middle-aged couple, and an old couple. The exchanges of ideas were very insightful yet still natural. The topic of feminism and masculinism (yes there is such word), just like the previous films, were also brought up, but this time with more information and perspectives coming from different generations and experiences.
By the time Jesse and Celine are now given the chance to be alone and talk with one another, they give us a brief background of what happened during the nine years they had together after their reunion in France. They bicker a bit but soon patch things up but it is clear that there is an ominous air between them. They end up going to this hotel since a friend of theirs encouraged them to stay the night there and be alone together. Sexy time happens but let me tell you now that it doesn't push through (no pun intended) since they end up fighting.
I won't spoil the rest but basically, what this movie tells us is that life is not always a fairy tale. There will always be ups and downs and it can never be avoided. What's always important is that by the end of the day, you patch things up and understand one another.
Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy's acting is worth praising as always. I love how they give life to the entire movie. The way they deliver their lines, they make it so natural it looks like it was filmed spontaneously with the actors improvising their lines. Never has endless talking been so dramatic and exciting at the same time. I don't think any other film could imitate this film, and if they do, I wish them luck. The film just like its predecessors again is shot in continuous takes whenever they have a sweet conversation. You don't need to have a sharp eye to notice that when the two of them were fighting in the hotel room, the shots are now different. From a once continuous shot, it now makes use of cuts and is focused on who is speaking. I find this simple trick genius in order to show the speaker's anger and make the audience feel it.
Once again, Richard Linklater's did not fail in giving us the realistic romance we all want. He is back with this masterpiece to produce a trilogy of classic pieces of romantic films. Right here, right now, I want to say that I am pretty confident that this trilogy would definitely be remembered forever as one of the most romantic films ever made.
Rating: 5/5
Time goes by so fast.
Nine years after Jesse and Celine met on the train in Vienna, they meet again in France during Jesse's book tour in the area. They stroll around France and catch up before Jesse will leave again for a plane back to America.
After a failed tryst in the past, two people cross paths once again but this time, with a nine year gap between the two of them. The movie is very exciting and nerve-wracking. You wouldn't know what happened and you would only understand as the movie progresses. A romantic film that keeps you at the edge of your seat is something worth noting.
The movie, just like its predecessor, is Jesse and Celine walking through the streets of France, catching up with all the things they missed with one another. Director Richard Linklater makes use of long takes just like the predecessor. Such skills are really remarkable for both the director and the actors themselves. Imagine having to deliver numerous lines for 7 minutes straight without interruption and mistakes while walking through the streets of Paris. But of course, it probably helped since Hawke and Delphy helped in writing the screenplay this time so they know what to say and how to say it.
If the first film did not have character development, Before Sunset offers a lot of it. The movie aims to take place on real time. Nine years have passed since Before Sunrise was released so it seems proper that nine years passed as well in the world of Jesse and Celine. Each of their character's development is very well-crafted and well-written. Their conversations are more mature and the way they see ideas and philosophies are more profound compared to their younger selves.
With nine years of difference between the two of them, the conversation and screenplay would be difficult I imagine but the product from this movie was a success. The way they talk to one another first is that of a friend meeting another friend after not seeing each other after a long time. They catch up on small and trivial things such as their jobs, hobbies, and whatever easy things they can talk about. As the movie goes on, the conversation gets deeper and more revealing. The emotion that was bottled up for nine years are slowly revealed and they start to say what they really feel after that encounter in the train nine years ago.
Aside from love and reunion, the film talks about the irony of life. In the nine years that the two of them were apart, they managed to get the things that they needed. They were able to build a name for themselves, they have a stable job, so on and so forth, yet they did not have each other. Having those things were always never enough, none of them mattered when the other one was not with them.
The film ends in a very hopeful note. That much I can tell you.
Rating: 5/5
If only it was this easy to meet a girl.
In the summer of 1994, Jesse Wallace, an American, is on a train going to Vienna to catch a cheap flight back to the United States. It is in this train where he meets the beautiful Celine, a French girl on her way back to France. They talk for a while and when the train stops at Vienna, Jesse boldly asks Celine if she would accompany him for a while before he leaves for the US. The rest of the movie was on the shoulder of Celine's decision if she would go or not. Thankfully, she chose the former.
I am not really a fan of romantic films and if given the choice between a horror or romantic film, I would choose the former. So the fact that I enjoyed this movie and giving it a positive review means it's beyond good. What makes this movie very interesting and romantic is the fact that it doesn't try hard to please you. There are no dramatic deaths or crying or slapping each other in the face. The film basically revolves around a man and a woman, strolling on the streets of Venice from mid-afternoon until dawn, talking about their life and perspectives about different things, and it definitely works!
Watching the movie feels like more than like you're spying on a couple, rather it feels like as if you're watching a documentary on how a couple goes on their first date. How they act with each other, what they talk about and the simple and little things they do when the other is not watching. The movie is very realistic and honest. It doesn't rush things the way blockbuster films do.
Ironically, these couple are not even extraordinary. Moreover, as much as Vienna is beautiful, the movie made it look so mundane. What kept this movie alive is their conversation. The script. As you read this, you might be thinking of your other half or even glancing at a couple across your table and wondering what they might be talking about. What make the two beyond ordinary is the things they talk about, the insights and opinions of many different things. They would agree on some but they would mostly disagree with one another but it's still romantic. Their philosophical conversation brings color to the mundane world they live in.
Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy are superb actors in this film. The way they deliver their lines and how smoothly it all goes deserve an applause. This type of movie would fail miserably if the actors are not capable. The characters they portray are very lovable and memorable. Each has a distinct personality of their own and makes sure that one does not overpower the other. Instead of character development, there is The movie has great characterization. The movie does not offer character development since it would be difficult to develop a character in the span of less than a day. So what this movie does is it gives the audience a chance to get to know the character more. There is character depth. The characters are 3-dimensional and not some paper thin character you see in some movies.
Before Sunrise is a film not only about love, but about the human person and the world he lives in. It's a movie about hope, dreams, living the moment and the uncertainty of the future.
Rating: 4.5/5
