Tender, understated romance

Rating: Null/10 (11 November 2004)

This was a beautiful movie, a wonderfully understated story of an extended date between 2 strangers: an awkward and goateed American slacker and a stunning French woman . he is on the rebound - having followed his girlfriend to Europe, only to find that she's dumped him. On a train to Vienna, he meets her. The two hit it off in a sort of cute way, and Celine agrees to keep Jesse company in Vienna overnight, as he wiles the hours away until morning for his flight back to the US. They spend most of the time ambling through Vienna - through its old streets, along the Danube and the even check out that Ferris Wheel from "The Third Man" (Harry Lime does not make an appearance, and neither of our heroes brave the Viennese sewers). "Before" may be a scripted follow-up to Linklater's earlier "Slacker" - substituting Austin, TX with Vienna. Though the flick boils down to an extended conversation, Delpy and Hawke develop a tender chemistry that goes beyond the abstract philosophy of their conversation (Jesse muses that rich and poor children are similarly neglected; Celine muses that some people easily and unwittingly give their lives up to work, never thinking of their own enjoyment). The plot never builds up any tension - any sense that their relationship is heading for something, but that's the point. By the time they part ways, we realize that both of our heroes struggled to be as open and friendly as possible with a total stranger each knows will never be seen again. The pay-off comes at the end as we say the pain of their separation. In a montage of Vienna the next morning, as the camera lingers on those spots graced by Jesse and Celine - now washed by sunshine but bereft of their company (or anybody else's). The loss is palpable. Unlike Paris, Linklater seems to be saying, Vienna is delicacy that you can't take with you.The soundtrack isn't bad either, my favorite track being Je T'Aime Tant by Julie Delpy should sound good to most ears even if you don't understand much of French.I think it is one of the best romances I've ever seen. So stick around as long as you can, and savor every bite. Either way, you know you'll never leave satisfied.