Utterly majestic.

Rating: 10/10 (2 September 2004)

In 1995, director Richard Linklater released a little romantic comedy called Before Sunrise, which made only 5 million dollars, but became a cult favourite on VHS/DVD. Nearly a decade later, Linklater reunites with the film's stars (Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawk) to produce this sequel. The motive clearly wasn't financial, given the rather limited success of the original; this was a labour of love for all involved. I haven't seen the original film, but having seen the sequel, it has now become a major priority. I must see where this all began. The plot is minimalist. Jesse (Hawk) is now a successful writer, and is touring Paris when he encounters Celine (Delpy). Jesse and Celine wander around the city for an hour and a bit, with Jesse's imminent departure the film's ticking clock. The plot is not the point; this film relies on dialogue and the strength of the two actors' performances. French actress Julie Delpy is truly radiant as Celine, instantly becoming one of my favourite actresses. Ethan Hawk, who has done little work seen by me since Dead Poets Society, is also great as Jesse. No other actor has more then a couple of lines. The dialogue of Before Sunset is wonderful, all of it feeling natural, never forced. Like the first film, the ending of this film is open-ended, although there is a very obvious (and correct) direction for series to take. Bring on Before_______.