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
