In one word: trite.

Rating: 1/10 (2 February 2013)

This film lacked all the charm of the first. In Before Sunrise we have this intriguing & alluring physical attraction and intellectual interest between two characters that "destiny" has united on a train. We follow them through an exhilaratingly spontaneous evening as their youthfully curious sensual dynamism develops. Their dialogue is interesting and sincere, and their attraction is sweet and sort of nostalgia-evoking.
In the second this is all replaced with dialogue that feels contrived and scripted, and which reeks of pseudo-intellectualism. Let's just set aside the fact that the endearing young love of the first is replaced with a pent up lust in the second, so that we can focus on the fact that Hawke's character is married during this little escapade, which renders the whole attraction categorically repugnant. Maybe things won't to work out in his marriage anyway, but people with integrity honor their marriage until it is over. Are we suppose to identify with and/or sympathize with this character?!? Get a divorce and fool around, or exercise the most minimal amount of self-respect & dignity and follow through with your own commitment.
Moving the promenade to the streets of Paris felt predictable and petty to me, it didn't save the movie, and finally, the film itself felt low-budget. I don't recommend Before Sunset to anyone who isn't middle-aged, divorced, and looking for consolation in a story of unscrupulous mediocrity. I do say that reluctantly, and apologize for its harshness, but that is the brutal truth. It's a middle aged, unaccountably cynical, and trite remake of the first, but 10 years later in Paris.