Before Watching: Before Sunrise (1995)

Rating: 8/10 (14 July 2019)

"Before Sunrise" (1995) is a fine, charming romance between two young adults, Jesse and Celine. If you want to get as much out of it as possible, there are a few things you need to keep in mind before watching:
This movie's impact will most likely depend on you. Before Sunrise is essentially a dialogue between the two characters in their early 20's who discuss things 20-year olds do think about. There is talk about longing, life and love, and there is existential question as well which belongs to the corresponding generation still seeking for answers. If you are roughly in the same position and age as these characters, some reasonings and train of thoughts will feel hauntingly familiar, and you will be spellbound throughout the runtime. If you, however, are not in the same life situation, their interactions might come off as uninteresting and somewhat naive. In that sense, it is very difficult to generally estimate this movie's emotional impact, as it spans such a wide spectrum depending on the viewer(s) individual situation.
Content-wise, this movie is surprisingly profound yet sometime a bit crude in its dialogue. Towards the last third, the tone becomes very serious and partly sexual, which can throw off certain viewers. Nothing too explicit is shown nor said, yet the theme is very prevalent and implied for that specific part of the movie.
Perhaps the most important part comes into play afterwards. There are currently two sequels out there, but do NOT rush into those movies merely for the sake of watching them. Instead, Before Sunrise asks for you to let itself sink in. The last 10-15 minutes in combination with some of the dialogue in mind can be quite emotional, haunting - and rewarding. Having only watched the second installment in the "Before"-series, it is my opinion that Before Sunrise is by far the superior, and rushing too fast into the other movies will deprive you of the unique feeling this movie leaves. Let one or two nights pass before, and savor them.
My personal grade: an impactful 8/10. If you found this helpful, check my profile for more reviews.