> Before Sunrise and Before Sunset

Rejoice! Two reviews for the price of one

For months I had been avoiding watching these two movies, thinking they would be a royal drag. But finally I gave them a chance, and boy am I glad!

Lets start with -
"Before Sunrise" - 1995


Director: Richard Linklater
Starring: Ethane Hawke and Julie Delpy

Richard Linklater (Scanner Darkly, School of Rock) brings us this wonderfully refreshing romantic tale about two strangers who meet on a train, fall in love, but have to go on their separate ways - all this in just one day.

Before Sunrise begins on the Eurorail. Jesse, an american, is touring europe on his own. Celine, a french girl, is returning from Budapest to Paris. They both get chatting, and find they have a real connection. As the saying goes, time literally flies, and soon its time for Jesse to get off at Vienna, as he has a flight to catch the next morning. Then, he gets a crazy idea. He asks Celine to get off as well, as he would really like to keep on talking with her for the rest of the day. Celine is of course reluctant, but Jesse convinces her by saying " Imagine you are 20 years in the future, maried to a fat lazy slob, and are wondering about all the guys you could have hooked up with. Would it have been any better? Well, I am one of those guys! So come with me now, and you'll see that I'm equally boring and as much a loser, so 20 years from now, you will have no regrets"

And Celine gets off the train. The rest of the movie is spent in the beautiful city of Vienna, with both of them roaming around, and talking. Warning! - They do talk a lot But this is really the best part of the movie. Unlike other sugary romances, Before Sunrise comes does not have that "hollywood" feel to it. Jesse and Celine feel like two very real people, and the whole movie is simply as if we are eavesdropping on them Their conversations are real, witty, funny and spontaneous. Not for a moment does it seem that these are two actors reading from a practised script.
Ethane Hawke's Jesse seems like a typical American happy go lucky chap. A bit arrogant, with a constant smirk on his face, and a very boyish attitude. Celine, on the other hand, is a smart, independent woman, though quite idealisitc. Julie Delpy has potrayed this role just perfectly.
They keep talking throughout the evening, and all thru the night. Finally, its morning, and time for Jesse's flight. When they say their goodbye's ( not in karan johar style ), perhaps more than them, I felt sad that this journey was over, and I wouldn't get to meet my friends again I wished and I wished than Jesse would stay back, or that Celine would go with him. But I knew that was not be be. Because, they were going to meet only after 9 whole years, in...



"Before Sunset" - 2004

Director: Richard Linklater
Starring: Ethane Hawke and Julie Delpy
Screenplay by Richard Linklater, Ethane Hawke, Julie Delpy

The best Sequel ever!

Its nine years after Jesse said goodbye to Celine. Now, he is a published author, having written a book about that magical night in Vienna. He is on a promotional tour for the book in paris, when he runs into Celine!
Much like its prequel, Before Sunset is spent around paris. This time however, our friends only have a couple of hours with them, before Jesse returns to the US. So they walk around paris, catching up, talking about their jobs, their ideas, and of course about that night in Vienna.
Ethane is married now, and has a kid. He seems like a happy successful, responsible grown up. Under the surface however, we can still see the charming kid from 9 years ago Celine is working for an environmental orginization, having decided to pursue her ideals.She is a wonderful balance between a practical working woman, and a dreamy idealist
Ethane and Julie both have full writing credits for the screenplay, and it clearly shows. Both of them have acted so naturally, its eerie
As they keep talking, we see that the spark is still there, that they are simply made for each other. Do they get together, or do they separate again? The ending is left wonderfully open, everyone is free to draw thier own conclusions, instead of having one thrust on them.

I would suggest everyone to take the time out to see these two films. A beautiful and refreshing departure from the usual 100 million dollar hollywood fare.