Reunited and it DOES feel so good

Rating: 10/10 (31 July 2007)

In 1995,director Richard Linklater introduced movie audiences to Jesse(Ethan Hawke)and Celine(Julie Delpy),two strangers from America and France(respectively)who meet on a train,stop in Vienna,drift through the lovely,historic streets and architecture as they converse,bond and,ultimately connect,only to part ways,unsure(as was the viewers)as to whether they would ever see each other again.
Almost ten years later,Linklater,along with Delpy and Hawke,decided to continue the stories in real time,and this time an impromptu(and the script and story gives the viewer the right to doubt that)meeting during a book tour that Jesse is a part of to promote a novel he's written(regarding the fictionalized encounter he and Celine had)that stops in Paris,which just happens to be the home of Celine. They are elated to see each other at first,and then for the next(almost)two hours,proceed to take their conversation across the city. The mood changes in waves,as each examines their lives since their encounter and come to various philosophical realizations(or even un-realizations). Once again,as they both long for each other despite practically everything(i.e. he's married with a son,she's afraid of deep,ever-present relationships),and their closeness over this second bonding opens the door for perhaps another chance at romance that was kindled--and was extinguished just as quickly--and once again,you the viewer are left wondering: will they do it? Will it take this time? The possibilities.
I was very pleased to see these character brought back. I was very impressed with the first movie,which I saw for free as part of a studio promo when I was in college,and felt after I saw it that this merited another look-see. A script penned by Hawke,Delpy,Linklater and Kim Krizan is written and rehearsed with such sharpness that,like the first firm,the feel of the conversation is relaxed and almost improvised in feel. Thes characters have grown up--in fact,in some ways,it feels like they've grown up possibly TOO much--but they still hold their memories and feelings with some of the same passion they had when they were twenty-somethings. Being of nearly the same age,I feel like this was the closest of just about any movie I saw out of the 90s that had ANY relation to my generation IMHO. This was not a widely released,nor wildly popular movie and that surprises me none.This is,like the last one,a purely conversational film and many people just simply have the patience for a film like that. I had been somewhat lazy about getting around to see this(on DVD,no less!)and maybe that came from subconsciously was afraid that a follow-up to the first movie might blow some of my theories or desires for the characters would not get realized or abused. I am happy to say after seeing this that none of that really happened. If anything,it actually carried along these characters in a natural arc that made them even MORE likable and real to me than previous.
Personally,I'd love to see an Act III of Jesse and Celine,maybe this time in the states. And like before,there should be no rush,since these characters had plenty of time to develop for a largely satisfying Act II.