A perfect sequel to Before Sunrise

Rating: 10/10 (8 March 2005)

When I saw Before Sunrise I really enjoyed it. It was the essence of every romantic travel fantasy and, lets face it, Ethan Hawke was the stuff that fantasies are made of. Having enjoyed the first movie so much I was really looking forward to the sequel but was also feeling some trepidation. What if they made a mess of it? Fortunately when I finally got to see the film any concern was put to rest. Before Sunset is everything I wanted in a sequel. The characters had matured in a way that made sense. You could see how the young Jessie and Celine had come to be these thirty-something people. There was no sickly sweet romantic perfection. These characters were clearly the product of real life, effected by their decisions good or bad, making compromises, sometimes insecure, a little scarred, but still holding on to memories and dreams of perfect moments. They are still on a journey but no longer sure that their destination is the right one. Unsure whether they can change direction, or even if they should, but afraid of what will happen if they don't.
While an obvious link to the first movie the title adds to that grown up feeling of fear that time might be running out. "Before Sunset" emphasises that feeling of something needing to be done before it its too late. Most people have a "What if"? somewhere in their past. You might not think about them/it often but on some level you have a question. This movie lets the characters of Jessie and Celine explore their "What if" nine years later, something most of us will never get to do. That that exploration is so satisfying for me as a movie goer taking a second look into their lives is a tribute to the Director and the two stars. It was obviously a great collaboration.
I think the fact that Ethan Hawke and Julie Delphy wrote with the Director makes this a wonderfully organic script. Both of the actors seem comfortable in the skins of their characters. They carry their baggage around Paris with them and the audience isn't insulted with the fantasy that their lives stopped when they parted. There were moments of casual lightness in the dialogue and also moments that left you raw with their honesty.
Sometimes the ending of a movie is a foregone conclusion. You can mentally hear the romantic music rise before the opening credits have even finished. This movie was different. In the beginning I didn't know how the movie would end or how I wanted it to end. The romantic and the realist in me couldn't quite reconcile. When the end came it surprised me with its suddenness then stunned me with its perfection. I cannot remember seeing a movie whose ending so perfectly fit its story and its characters. The moment when "Jessie" laughed and acknowledged, (as much to himself as to Celine), that he wouldn't be catching that plane, was the perfect place to leave, not finish, their story. A moment more would have been too much, a step towards schmaltz, a compromise to the conventional. A moment less would have left us wandering forever in the "What If". I am so grateful that having found the perfect moment they had the vision to stay with it.