snooze fest

Rating: 3/10 (2 June 2005)

In Before Sunrise, you simply watch two people go on an overnight date. Yippie. I've been on plenty of dates to know how they work, so I certainly don't need to waste my time watching other people do it. The two characters in the movie have extended conversations broken up about every ten minutes to change the scenery and give you a chance to wake up. The conversations are mundane and often pointless. It's like watching a reality TV show, only without all the drama that makes it interesting.
The acting is sub-par. Ethan Hawke was okay, though his character was extremely annoying. Julie Delpy, on the other hand, delivered her lines devoid of any emotion. Her way of attempting emotion was to simply stare out the window.
This movie appeared to be made simply because the writer wanted other people to hear his ideas about life. This is fine, as many movies have been made for this purpose. However, the flaw here is that this is the only point to the movie. There isn't any connecting plot at all, just a series of conversations. The movie "Tape" (also w/ Ethan Hawke) is also just a series of conversations, though the only setting is one hotel room and the movie is actually just one really long scene. However, "Tape" actually is entertaining in that the conversations have a point and actually move the characters to some sort of resolution or change - this is where "Before Sunrise" fails.
To sum up, if you have insomnia, this "film" is your cure. Or, if you're a hermit and you miss having conversations with people, then this will provide for a substitute to interacting with others...just don't plan to be entertained.