Before Sunset

Ah, so they did it again. Just when you think they've taken all the magical ambiguity of the first movie (and romance) out of this lovely story, they hit you with something arguably more ambiguous and uncertain. This comment catches me in-between just finishing Sunset and getting watching Midnight tomorrow, but I sort of want to bask in the ambivalence of this movie's highs and lows before I get some more answers.

All the dialogue about life and love makes me happy and sad at the same time.

The most exciting stage of a (fictional) relationship for me personally is exactly the one encapsulated in this chapter of the trilogy. Forget the nerves and ingenuity of a new relationship, i want the angst and the high tension of a past love that didn't work out but is on the verge of a reunion. I'm obsessed with the way this pair of actors explores the different levels of chemistry, applied to each different stage of the chatacters' relationship - it's subtle, but you notice it just enough to make it feel whole and real but still more exciting and dramatic than real life, (which is what we always look for in movies, right?) without ever crossing the bridge to cringiness, which is always the big risk in romantic movies. The dialogues, as always, were an incredibly entertaining chess match to follow, but by far my favourite part is Céline's outburst of emotion in the car, just so so good. That ending has to be one of my favourite endings to a movie ever. I'm obsessed. First one was a solid 9, this one's a good 9,5. Let's see what the third instalment has got!

This movie really worked for me as a standalone movie. I don't know if my experience watching it could be improved by watching the first one, but now I really want to see the entire trilogy. Highly recomended.

Nine years removed from the perfect one-day fling, a pair of romantics reconvene in Paris to learn how the adult world, and the faded promise of a missed second rendezvous, has changed them. She’s grown into a confident career woman, following her idealism to affect change in a charitable organization, he’s blossomed into a best-selling author with ample opportunity to sow his philosophical seeds, but they’ve both been haunted by that single golden day in Vienna. How can one ever find true happiness after holding, losing and pining for something so magical? Was the night even that special to begin with, or were they just two kids, swept away in a moment, who shared an illusory dream? As they compare notes about the fateful meeting and learn how memory has distorted certain details, that becomes a real (if largely internalized) debate.

It takes most of the film to cut through all the fronts and fake niceties, for our wayward spirits to really bare their souls again, and by then the clock is ticking. He has a plane to catch, a young family waiting in the States, and the last thing she wants is to burden his conscience with the past. It’s frustrating and sad to see them struggle to open up like this; two thirty-somethings playing the games they despised a decade earlier, wasting hours in an empty trance. It’s like they’re both having an out-of-body experience, running their mouths while hesitating to approach the subjects that matter. I think most of us have been there before: anticipating a meaningful moment, mentally preparing the right words, then watching like a helpless passenger as it’s squandered in a clumsy rush. The passion is still there, for both of them, but it’s been stowed behind a long hall of padlocked emotional doors. It’s going to take some time, and some tears, to get them all open.

_Before Sunset_ is a different encounter than the first. Where _Before Sunrise_ depicted a matched set of sentimental dreamers, drinking in life’s marvels and sharing something profound, _Before Sunset_ has seen them transition into guarded, sensible grown-ups. Time was the least of their concerns in ’95. They had nowhere to be, no one to meet, no obligations tugging at their sleeve. Now, as functioning adults with full lives and scheduled responsibilities, they struggle to rekindle the fire that’s smoked in their hearts ever since. It’s only when they release all the self-imposed burdens, blink their eyes and realize what’s happening, that they find what they’ve sought. There’s a distinct moment when that occurs, and then, all at once, they’re intoxicated all over again. And so are we.

This is a meaningful story, as indicative of the hardened beliefs we hold in our thirties as _Before Sunrise_ was of twenty’s romantic naïveté. Our leads are no longer free birds, crooning away the hours before dawn. They’re more mature, but also more guarded and uncertain, afraid of dotting a blemish on the one shining memory that’s colored their lives. Their breakthrough hits like a load of bricks, a sudden burst of sunlight on a foggy day, and the mutual relief is palpable. There they are! I knew these beautiful spirits were still in there somewhere. Céline’s quiet, soulful tune with an acoustic guitar is a perfect culmination of this journey, a powerful statement of yearning and wonder that left me holding my breath, totally enamored. And what a magnificent ending. As with the original, we’re left to soak in the beauty of this moment, then draw our own conclusions about where it goes next. I’m reluctant to watch the third entry. No way they can outperform my imagination for a second time.

A beautiful sequel. Probably my favorite of the series. It's a poignant study of whether raw connection is enough to keep two people together. The conversation between the two is soo naturalistic it makes me feel like I'm with real people.

‘Before Sunset’ is a romantic-drama sequel to ‘Before Sunrise’, released nine years earlier in 1995. I don’t recommend watching this film until you have watched Sunrise. If you have not seen ‘Before Sunrise’, SKIP the rest of this PARAGRAPH because of SPOILERS. In [spoiler]‘Before Sunrise’, two strangers, Jesse and Celine, meet in Vienna and share a one-night affair, promising each other it would be a casual one-day affair. However, they fell in love and parted ways in the morning, each in opposite directions. Neither knew each other’s last names, phone numbers, or addresses, but they departed with the promise to meet up again six months later at the same train station. Circumstances kept them from uniting them then, and they led separate lives for nine years.[/spoiler] In Sunset, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) becomes a prolific writer and writes a bestselling novel depicting the unforgettable day he spent with Celine. In his book tour, he travels to Paris, and Celine (Julie Delpy) goes to meet him. They immediately reconnect and pick up where they left off nine years earlier, despite being older, more mature, and changed people. It’s as if their love for each other transcends time and space. This time, though, Jesse has only until sunset to drive to the airport and return to the US, giving them two hours together in Paris.

I found this film touching and filled with warmth. The dialogue, acting, directing, camera work, and cinematography are superb. Many scenes go on for minutes. In fact, one shot lasts over 11 minutes long, which is remarkable to get everything right. I believe ‘Before Sunrise’ and ‘Before Sunset’ have some of the best dialogue lines I have heard, crafted by director Richard Linklater and principal actors Hawke and Delpy. It always feels genuine and tangible that you lose track of the fact that it’s a movie. We notice their strengths and flaws, thoughts and dreams, happiness and heartbreak, fears and hopes—all encapsulated within the brief time they have to explore Paris. I can’t get enough of the line delivery and chemistry between Hawke and Delpy. It’s almost perfect with infectious charm. The atmosphere and setting filmed in Paris, the City of Love, is such an ideal fit for making this film work on a thematic level. It’s also relatable, much like ‘Sunrise’ was, for anyone who ever reconnected with an old friend or classmate or acquaintance years later and picked up their friendship right where they left off. Jesse and Celine click with such honesty that you feel you are eavesdropping on a private, intimate moment.

Would I recommend it? Yes. I suggest you watch ‘Before Sunrise’ before this film, but I enjoyed both very much, especially the dialogue. While there isn’t much edge-of-the-seat action, I still believe you’ll be eager to see how the film unravels and whether they end up together.

The decision to do a sequel to the wonderful "Before Sunrise" nine years later was both extremely brave and a no-brainer. Because, while independent films of this type rarely get sequels, the chemistry between Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke was so compelling that you had to know what happened next to their characters. And in "Before Sunset," it quickly becomes clear that the two have lost none of their chemistry. Once again, the actual plot is secondary; the dialogue is the main attraction. Because it is not only funny, profound, heartfelt, and romantic, but it is also well staged. All in all, I think this movie is the perfect companion piece to the first film.

"You can never replace anyone, because everyone is made of such beautiful specific details."