Before Sunrise

Before Sunset (2004)

Runtime: 80 magical minutes

Directed by: Richard Linklater

Starring: Mainly it’s Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy but you probably knew that already

From: Warner Independent Pictures/Castle Rock Entertainment

Or: Can you believe I now have 2,000 followers on Letterboxd?! This just happened so I would like to thank every one of those followers; in the past I’ve criticized my own writing (too often I’ve looked back and noticed things I would have stated differently now or flat-out mistakes) but this should not be the time for negativity. It honestly is a milestone which would have seemed absolutely inexplicable to me several years ago; it is flattering that mistakes and all there are enough people who give a damn enough to read reviews that are longer than what seems typical on Letterboxd.

I did want to check out something special for this occasion; as this film is leaving the Criterion Channel at the end of the month and discovered Before Sunrise was excellent when viewed for the first time six months ago, I was hoping for another magical experience… thankfully it was. By the way, I do feel this highly about the movie and it’s not that I was hoping for a 5 star rating to celebrate two thousand followers. The characters of Jesse and Celine meet again-I’ll say nothing of Sunrise’s ending-this time in Paris and like the first time there is plenty of conversation. As both are wiser and more mature, not only are there different topics discussed, but it takes a turn… instead of going into details, I will mention that the stunning ending includes a tribute to a musical legend who had passed away shortly before filming.

Thankfully the patter was always intriguing and the chemistry between the two actors/characters was still excellent. The two catching up with each other was great; I was just as excited to learn what happened to them since ’95, what has changed and what is the same. There were some differences compared to the first: more of it was the two rather than brief interactions w/ others, and most interestingly it was shot as if we are witnessing the characters hanging out in real-time. The movie just flew by and wished there would have been much more time spent w/ Jesse & Celine; there isn’t a higher compliment for me to give.

Only afterwards did I see a review from a mutual which mentioned that there are some Letterboxd users who believe it best that a viewer waits at least awhile to watch each entry in the trilogy rather than all in the span of a few days. Personally it did not seem like a mistake to wait half a year so I should do the same for Before Midnight, even though I’d love to see the next chapter. One last detail: as it was the early 2000’s there was allusions to the United States & the second war in Iraq; Jesse & Celine mentioned how miserable the world seemed at the time… oh Lord, if only their characters knew what the world would be like since about 2015 or 2016!