Two complete strangers strike up a conversation on a train...

Rating: 9/10 (31 October 2013)

Two complete strangers strike up a conversation on a train. The country is foreign to both of them, but they're from different cultures. She's French, he's American, they talk. And they continue to talk for the rest of the evening, having hopped off the train together, roaming around the city of Vienna. This is the premise of "Before Sunrise", the first part of Richard Linklater's "Before" series. It's a movie about everything and nothing – there's no action, no events, but there's drama and comedy in the constant conversation that we are presented with. By the end of the 100 minute film, we feel like we know the two of them inside out. As basic premises go, this has the potential to be a long and very boring ordeal. But the conversation is witty and intellectual, and never feels boring because you feel like a third party sharing it with them.
As they walk around Vienna, they meet various different characters. They ask some locals for things to do, meet a man who offers to write them a poem, are confronted with a palm reader at dinner. Each encounter tells us more about the two personalities that we're watching. Both are incredibly romantic, but Jesse has a cynical edge to his character (shown by his reaction to the palm reader). The love that the pair share for each other is clear from very early on, and since they know that this may be the only time they meet, everything moves quickly. They share deep secrets with each other (at one point by the means of hilarious fake phone calls to friends), and share a first kiss at the top of Vienna's ferris wheel. When the next day comes, they part ways, agreeing to meet again in 6 months in the same place. They don't share contact details, knowing that it will happen if it should. This leaves the viewer with one of the most beautiful and infuriating endings in film (but not, strangely, in this series) – will they ever see each other again.
The film would be nothing without the superb performances from Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, whose characters are both fascinating and likable. The script, partly written by them, is extremely sharp and funny, and Linklater's no direction is ever present. This is the birth of a style, very focused on conversation and long shots, which carries over to much of his later work. In all, "Before Sunrise" is never boring, and leaves you wanting even more. Which is lucky, because there are two sequels, both of which are equally fantastic.