Talk, talk, more talk, and then some talking

Rating: 4/10 (1 April 2005)

I bought this movie as a double feature with its sequel, "Before Sunset", because my sister told me that I'd like them.
Not knowing what to expect, I put the disc in... and waited... and waited... and waited, as the actors did a lot of talking.
The central characters met by chance on a train, and spent a night together in Vienna before each had to move on to separate destinations. From my perspective, it felt like a thousand and one nights.
The character of Celine was what you'd expect a stereotypical young Parisienne to be - stars in her eyes, dreamily romantic, believing in things mystical, while he was the cynical American who shot down everything she found special. So what did she see in him, I ask? They talked about how they 'connected', but they didn't appear, to me, to be connected at all. I didn't see two characters into whom I could become immersed, or believe their developing passion. All I saw were two actors.
As a general rule, I wouldn't go out of my way to watch romance movies. That is not to say that I am not capable of being moved by one that is well-cast and well-made. There are many that have stirred my emotions, some even to the point of tears ("An Affair to Remember", for example, which this kind of takes a page from). But not this one. The Kleenex was left undisturbed in its little box, this time.
Maybe the other users who've given this movie its high rating are hopeless romantics who'd cry over a sentimental TV commercial. I don't know. I don't mean to demean them in any way, but maybe some people have a lower 'romance' threshold than others...
I simply could not get involved with the characters. They didn't do anything for me but leave me cold.
The reason I gave this a 4 out of 10 instead of a 3, is for the Viennese scenery.
Watch this if there's nothing else on, and if you're doing something else at the same time so that you're not too bored.