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 First off, I must say that I LOVED BEFORE SUNRISE and was absolutely thrilled to hear that there was going to be a sequel. Although, I didn't think that a sequel could possilbly live up to the magic of the first. But I was absolutely wrong. This movie may possibly be a better film than the first (ask me again in nine years and it may move from possibly to most definately). I loved every minute of this movie. Even Delpy's songs. This movie contains one of the most gut-wrenching and achingly romantic exhanges that I have ever seen. The movie is absolutely beautiful and the ending is frustrating and annoyingly perfect. This is no tiffany-wrapped hollywood ending, but a question of faith. It remains a litmus test of what type of (romantic) person you are. So BEFORE SUNRISE fans (like myself), this is the movie that you've been waiting nine years to see. Julie Delpy's Celine has matured into an even more amazingly beautiful woman. The kind of woman many of us hope to be. Ethan Hawke's Jesse has lost some of his pseudo-intellectual-gen-X-slacker cynacism that pervades the first film (But hey, it was the mid 90s. Weren't all 20something-year old males required to sport both a goatee and a healthy dose of cynacism?) So while these characters have grown and changed, they are still the same two people we fell in love with in Vienna. Those of you who haven't seen the first film will still be able to enjoy this film. However, I highly recommend that you rent the BEFORE SUNRISE before seeing BEFORE SUNSET so that you can truly enjoy the flow of conversation instead of trying to acquaint yourself with these characters. This movie was truly made for the fans of the first film. I can't give this movie enough stars. I've heard that Mr. Linkater, Hawke and Delpy are interested in doing another sequel to this film. I must say that I agree with one of the earlier reviewers: DON'T MAKE ANOTHER FILM UNLESS CELINE + JESSE ARE LIVING HAPPILY AND NEUROTICALLY EVER AFTER!!! P.S. JESSE- I hope you missed your flight.
Nine years after having a one-night stand in Vienna Celine and Jesse meet up again in Paris while Jesse is on a tour promoting his new book that just happens to be about the one night he spent with Celine. While walking through the quaint Parisian gardens before his plane leaves for New York, they catch up with each other's lives since they last saw each other and it is apparent that sexual tension and an intense interest continue to exist between them. Their dialogue often drifts from displays of serious emotions to more frivolous topics, but there is an element that keeps the audience continually interested. The running time is brief and the film is entirely shot in real time (there are no time lapses) thus creating a voyeuristic feeling of the audience eavesdropping on their conversation and following them through the park. Without giving anything away, the film's abrupt ending was magnificent, certainly unexpected, and honestly left me a bit frustrated. I don't know if there will be another sequel but I'm content to just leave things as they were left. All in all, BEFORE SUNSET is a touching film filled with romance and wonder. Highly recommended. 4.5 stars.
First of all I've always been a huge fan of "Before Sunrise", considering it to be the best romantic movie in history. That said, I'm delighted to announce that "Before Sunset" is a sequel completely worthy of its matchless predecessor. I think I speak for all fans of "Before Sunrise" that we never expected to see a sequel, and that this movie is a dream come true. Everything that made the first movie so great is duplicated here, but in a fresh and engaging way. Star-crossed but estranged lovers Jesse and Celine are reunited after 9 years in Paris, and we are invited to follow them along in a voyueristic, real-time conversation for a little more than an hour. Like the first movie, Before Sunset is really just one long conversation. If that sounds boring, don't be fooled. Director Linklater knows his stuff; this is his way of doing thangs, and he does it well. It's perhaps a big artistic gamble, but it works, just as it did for the first movie. The conversation begins somewhat mundane and chit-chatty, but it only adds to the realism, and gradually builds in crescendo as Jesse and Celine slowly reveal to each other what they REALLY want to say, yet are afraid to. There were really very few dull moments as the conversation is richly layered with multiple dimensions of meaning encoded in what is said, not said, and subtle body language. We find out that after all these years, Celine and Jesse are still very much in love with each other, and both are frustrated by both the past misfortunes that prevented their originally planned reunion in Vienna, and the unfortunate circumstance that makes their current reunion highly problematic. Yet all this is skilfully and subtly conveyed, and we are not beaten over the head with it, as a lesser director may have been tempted to do. The car-ride scene towards the end when Celine reveals her sadness and misery that Jesse is now married with kids was done brilliantly and with heart-breaking poignancy. Equally poignant was Jesse's "retort", revealing his recurring dream of the French girl he could never forget. Both Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy make wonderful performances in this movie and have rich, kinetic chemistry with each other. We really believe that they are in love. However, I am a guy, so most of my attention was upon the certifiably radiant and gorgeous Julie Delpy. Delpy/Celine is any guy's dream girl. Smart, funny, insecure yet independent, and genuinely adorable. Her beauty is a down-to-Earth kind glowing with infinite softness and femininity. Plus there's the light but irresistible French accent thing going. I fell in love with her in the first film. After the second film I can barely endure the sweet misery. Hawke does a fine job too, creating a character I truly like and identify with. We see the difference between Jesse's idealistic romanticism and Celine's cautious cynacism, yet we also see the undeniable link between them that is the source of their love. Jesse has only about an hour to spend with Celine before his flight leaves, and as the film progresses both the audience and the characters feel the rising dread of the inevitable. Once again, everything is done with minimalist, artful grace. But we see and understand nevertheless with crystal clarity what is going on in Jesse's mind as he desperately attempts to squeeze out every possible extra precious second he can with Celine. We are on the edge of our seats biting our nails as the end nears, the tension of the unsaid hanging over us and Jesse like a dark menace. What will Jesse do? Will he abandone his (albeit dysfunctional) marriage and be with Celine? Will he get on that flight back to New York? What makes the audience so enthralled is that not only do we not know what is going to happen, it's obvious that neither does Jesse. Jesse is right there with us in real time, the battle of desire vs. obligation raging in his mind. He tries so desperately to buy more time, perhaps to decide, or perhaps just to see what he is going to do, as if watching his own actions unfold outside of himself. The ending of "Before Sunrise" was brilliant and unforgettable, but ultimately poignant and ended on a "downer" tone. I know that it was supposed to be an ambiguous ending in which cynics know they never met at the appointed place, and romantics believed they did. But Celine's little sad chuckle to herself at the end of the film seemed a very clear indication, at least to me, that they never kept their promise. That said, the ending of Before Sunset was utterly sublime and genius, one of the most satisfying conclusions to a movie I have ever seen. It is technically ambiguous (keeping a coherent style with the first movie), but it appears to me to be obvious that the romantics win!!! Ha ha true, you may choose to interpret it another way, but to me the tone was quite different from the ending of the first movie, this one being an undeniable "upper". Ironic then, that in the first movie Jesse and Celine (apparently) have sex twice whereas in this one they don't even kiss. I was clapping hard and screaming after the ending. It completely satiated me. And if Richard Linklater is reading this review, I'd like to first thank him so much for making such a peerless duo of films, and secondly I must demand that he NEVER MAKE A THIRD INSTALLMENT!!! Don't you DARE make a "Before Sun[blank]"!!! Celine+Jesse forever!!! DO NOT MAKE ANOTHER one of the series, unless you are going to show Celine and Jesse happily married in Paris with Celine pregnant lying in Jesse's bed. If they didn't end up together I don't want to hear about it! I like the ending to this one and I am satisfied with my interpretation! The only weakness of "Before Sunset" is that I don't really think it works if you didn't see the first movie. This is especially problematic since the first movie, although an excellent cult favourite, was not widely seen by audiences. Yes, even if you've never seen Before Sunrise, you will enjoy this movie. However I estimate that something around 60% of Before Sunset's emotional impact will be lost, as well as references to events in the first movie. In fact the two are so inseparable in a storyline perspective that I now see them as one long movie (or conversation). Thus, if you're going to see Before Sunset in theatres (and I HIGHLY recommend that you do), why don't you give yourself the full experience and rent "Before Sunrise" beforehand? There has never been a better excuse ;-) |
While standing in line at the box office two women in front of me warned me that they thought BEFORE SUNSET was so boring because "it was just two people walking and talking." They tried to talk me out of seeing it. Of course I began to feel a bit apprehensive at their apparent negative reviews, I surely wasn't expecting such distaste from fellow movie-goers. But now looking back, I'm glad I gave little credence to them and saw BEFORE SUNSET anyways because it is simply a wonderful and beautiful film. It goes far beyond just two people walking and talking.
