From sunrise to sunset

Rating: Null/10 (2 October 2004)

I've been waiting for this for 9 years. Just as a lot of movie crazes impressed by Richard Linklater's masterpiece Before Sunrise nine years ago, the news that the same crew and same cast were going to "pick it up where they left off" in Venice in this year 2004 create great hopes and anticipation.
Jesse, who now became a writer and touring in France ran into Celine the French girl who he met and had a one-night stand relationship nine years ago. The story began in Shakespeare & Co. (a famous English bookstore in Paris), the couple literally walked the audience around Paris and to several most famous attractions in Paris. (funny why La Tour Eiffel was not included) This time, the couple had eight hours before Jesse flied off to New York. The couple walked and talked, till they reached Celine's flat, where the story ended.
This time, the scene was set in Paris, the most romantic city in the world if not considered second to Venice after Before Sunrise. The talks on life and philosophy in Sunrise were still there, the intimacy and romance again forms the main theme of the movie. Linklater's signature use of long continuous shots (as against montage) were again employed to create suspense and attract serious concentration in Sunset as it was used and acclaimed by many in Sunrise.
Before Sunset finished at the right moment, before the audience feel surfeit with too much romance. Before Sunset is going to capture more hearts of lovers for Linklater, and it is going to be as successful as Before Sunrise.