Noble, romantic and full of life.

Rating: Null/10 (1 January 2013)

Still holding up nearly twenty years later, Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise is a mesmerizing film documenting a day in the life of two people with vastly different backgrounds who form some sort of connection on a train and explore that connection in Vienna. Though some plot contrivance is required for certain scenes to take place, this is more or less one of the most thoroughly realistic and relatable love stories ever put on celluloid.
The key to this success lays of course in the dialog and the acting. At times it is hard to believe much of this was written, though by whom is a matter of contention. It has been reported that actors Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke contributed significantly to this screenplay though remained uncredited. Whoever did write this script clearly has insight and understanding into the human condition regarding feelings of isolation, loneliness, love, parental relationships and overall outlooks on life.
Seeing this film nearly twenty years after its release, one cannot help but think about the countless films which have been influenced by its charm, grace and idealistic view of the possibility of connections people can make. It is a noble and enthralling work, an experience that certainly becomes richer and more understandable through multiple viewings. Even in this post-post-modern society we inhabit, which seems to become increasingly cynical and technologically obsessed, here is a film that acknowledges the romantic in all of us; a desire to remain innocent, in love and fully aware of one's deep connection with another human being, preferably of the opposite gender.