Romance for the realists...

Rating: 10/10 (23 July 2004)

I must admit that I went to see this movie without any expectation of how good or how awful it may be. All I knew was the Times (NYT) recommended it and the plot appealed to me so I went to a matineé show and was extremely pleased with the result. The picture began with Jesse wrapping up his book tour in Paris, and was blushing red while answering questions about his work which I found out as the movie goes along, was the romanticized version of his and Celine's love affair that did not happen. She came and saw him at the bookstore that he was in and went on from there. They reacquaint themselves with each other, spawning endless conversations from every conceivable topic. They also can't help but look back from that day in Vienna and wondered what if. I just recently saw Before Sunrise, the prequel to this film, and must say that I enjoy this one more, only because the topics of conversations were more mature, and the romantic notions were more realistic. Their connection is so palpable, it made me wish I knew someone with whom I can speak candidly without fear of being judged. The film is shot in location in Paris, and it certainly contributes to the aura of the film.