Before Sunset

Before Sunset follows Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) as they reconnect in Paris nine years after their encounter in Before Sunrise, with the film, naturally, detailing the various conversations that ensue between the pair over the course of one very leisurely afternoon. In its early stages, Before Sunset doesn’t seem as though it’s quite going to reach the stellar heights of its predecessor – as the pronounced emphasis on the central characters’ philosophical musings results in an atmosphere that’s almost akin to director Richard Linklater’s tedious Waking Life. (Before Sunset, of course, never comes close to the interminable depths of that animated endeavor.) The electric chemistry between Jesse and Celine, coupled with the actors’ fantastic work, ensures that the film remains compulsively watchable even through its more esoteric stretches, and yet there’s little doubt that Before Sunset improves immeasurably once the protagonists start exploring the effect that that fateful night has had on both their lives. It’s subsequently impossible to deny that the second half possesses a frankness that’s nothing short of irresistible, with the intensely romantic vibe paving the way for an absolutely riveting (and rather emotionally-draining) final 30 minutes. (And this is to say nothing of the note-perfect capper that closes the movie.) The end result is a superior sequel that accomplishes everything that one might’ve hoped, and it certainly goes without saying that future installments of this (hopefully) ongoing series will have a lot to live up to.

**** out of ****