Oscar nominations for Best Actress and Screenplay.

Rating: 9/10 (11 January 2005)

BEFORE SUNSET. * * * 1/2.
Actors: Ethan Hawke & Julie Delpy. Screenwriters. Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, and Julie Delpy.
Director: Richard Linklater.
To start things off I usually hate romantic movies. I find them very predictable, the characters make me sick, and I usually feel depressed after i view them. I was lucky enough to see "Before Sunrise" when it came out to video and I was amazed to see that the guy who made "Dazed and Confused" was brave enough not to do another commercial film. Since then I have always been a huge fan of Linklater's work. I loved his Animated "Waking Life", and I enjoyed his family flick "School of Rock" Richard is the only director I know who can make both big mainstream movies and small independent films and not look like a sellout.
"Before Sunset" continues nine years after "Before Sunrise". Jesse wrote a book about his one night in Vienna with Celine and is in France at the end of his book tour. Celine shows up and the two of them decide to spend the afternoon together before his plane leaves.
What takes next is a series of conversations, and this is where the real gem of the screenplay comes into focus. Because this one does not use pop culture references to get you into the story. It's just normal people having a conversation, but I assure you that it's not boring. I was interested in everything these characters had to say. On their afternoon together they begin to let down their guard and tell each other just what that night really meant to them. Jesse and Celine are both currently in another relationship, but it's clear that these two should be together. It made a true love believer out of me when most films assure me that it's dead.
"Before Sunset" is a perfect companion piece to "Before Sunrise", but you don't need to see the first one to enjoy this. It stands on it's own as a very good contemporary love story. I hope Oscar voters are wise and nominate Julie Delpy for best actress nods and one for best screenplay to Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, & Julie Delpy. More actors should take cues from them and write their own sequel.