Terrific film in its own right

Rating: 10/10 (23 May 2005)

There are a lot of sequels out right now, and normally the major concern is, will this one hold a candle to the original? In this particular case, "Before Sunset" does not hold a candle to the original. It does not have to, since it IS the original. If I have never seen the first on, and only saw this, I would still think it is one of the most masterfully movies ever made. Yet, it is hard not compare the two in the context of the change of the characters. And even though the "younger" version was maybe more about romantic, this one has more of a sense of urgency. The whole movie, they had a lot less time to catch up than the last time, so they have to get more out in the open in shorter time, being more cautious adults this time. This is probably one of the few films your don't really have to see the original before. I know many people will disagree, but I compare it to listening a foreign opera with no subtitles: enjoy the emotion, understanding will come later. And as a side note, both the director and the stars (Delpy and Hawke) are producers and writers, which is yet another reason to see this film.