minimalist masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (4 June 2005)

A guy, a girl and a plane to catch. That's how simple the plot is, yet there you are at the end wondering where all the time went  which of course is the theme of this story about two lovers reunited after a decade apart. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy do something much greater than give performances  they give of themselves. They listen to each other, and when is the last time you watched a film and noticed that. Their sensitivity toward the material means they do not miss a note, or rather they miss many notes, just as two nervous people would. They play with each other, and every time a character says something that seems dishonest, the other character calls them on it. There is nothing fake about this picture: Linklater just lets two charismatic actors roam around Paris, and it is enough.