Mature sequel, but lacks magic of Before Sunrise

Rating: 6/10 (28 February 2005)

Having watched and loved Before Sunrise when it was first released, I looked forward to Before Sunset more than most movies. For me Before Sunrise is one of the most romantic movies ever made, encapsulating for all time young, idealistic love with two people really connecting at a deep emotional level. But watching Before Sunset eventually left me slightly underwhelmed, I have to say. It is not bad at all, neatly tying up the loose ends after the heart-rending ending of the first movie - what happened to obvious soul mates Celine and Jesse? Did they meet up six months later? Did they end up together? Before Sunset is set 10 years after the first film and we get the answers to those questions in a satisfactory manner, but without ever really touching the heights of the first film. But then again, how do you follow up such a diamond of a film?
There were a number of good points about this movie, first of which was that it is set in another beautiful location (Paris). I don't know about anyone else, but the first movie was a great advert for Vienna - I've been dying to go there ever since. Similarly in Before Sunset, Paris is endearing in each location, be it a quintessential French café, the back streets or on a boat over the river Seine. Another great feature is that the film takes place in real time, which gives a great continuity to the storytelling and ensures the audience does not miss a thing. Both Hawke and Delpy are back for the sequel, which was an absolute necessity - their undeniable chemistry once again captivates the audience to smouldering effect.
Despite all these riches, I just felt that the movie lacked the magic of the first. Personally, I think I will have forgotten Before Sunset before too long. Back in 1995, I only watched Before Sunrise once, but it has stayed with me as a memory of a magical movie ever since. Controversially, I do not see Before Sunset to really be a romantic movie (except perhaps for the end I guess) - it's a more cynical "Before Sunrise was young idealism, this is real life" take on the two characters, and quite a lot of the movie is spent with the two characters moaning about how their lives have turned out. There are also some rather crude sexual references in Before Sunset, which I thought were out of place, especially given Hawke's character is married with a child. The dialogue in the first movie was altogether more charming, with the characters learning each other's hopes and fears, gauging each other's personalities and gradually becoming closer in a wholly believable way. But even though the characters seem to have become a little bitter with life in Sunset, their chemistry ensures that their conversation never bores the audience.
I imagine that a lot of people have given this movie high scores as they can relate in some way to what these characters have gone through, and I think that is fair enough. The characters have grown and this is a certainly more mature film (crude sexual references aside). And to Linklater's credit, the ending was very strong. It is a very good movie, which is well worth watching (and I would advise strongly that you watch Before Sunrise beforehand to fully enjoy the second film).
But maybe Sunset is too "real" for me. Personally, I much preferred the touchingly romantic original movie and its bittersweet ending - and of the two, Before Sunrise is the film you should rent for a quiet night in with the one you love...