Before Sunrise Movie Review

Before Sunrise (1995)

Rent Before Sunrise on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Richard Linklater & Kim Krizan
Directed by: Richard Linklater
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
A young man and woman meet on a train in Europe, and wind up spending one evening together in Vienna. Unfortunately, both know that this will probably be their only night together.

Verdict
It's such a simple concept that manages to consume your attention. Two people have a long conversation. That's the movie, but their conversation engages and reveals who they are. This is a character study, and it's easy to begin to ship the two. The movie plays with that idea, whether they should meet again or not. It's not a typical movie, but it's more engaging than so many others. This expands the idea of what a movie can be and do.
Watch it.

Review
I'm not sure Linklater can ever top Boyhood, from concept to execution. He spent twelves years on Boyhood so that characters would be the right age as time passes. That's not too different from what he's done with the Before series. He revisited not just this style of movie, but these characters in Before Sunset and Before Midnight. Years having passed between the movies and fictional time lines.

The other big movie of Linklater's is Dazed and Confused. It captures the high school glory days with such depth. Everybody Wants Some tries to tap into some of the same feelings though it's not as successful.

Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke play Céline and Jesse.

The simple premise starts with a conversation on a train. Why does it continue to work well throughout the movie? Because they discuss hopes dreams, and insecurities. Dialog feels authentic, and watchign this you believe the conversations have to be somewhat autobiographical, either from Linklater and Krizan or Delpy and Hawke. It's slight fantasy, but sometimes two people do hit it off though I'm not sure conversations turn frank so quickly.

The premise a bit of a gimmick, and Boyhood is too, but both movies are a slice of life. A picture perfect image of hopes and dreams, how we wish life could be, and still acknowledging the negatives. Something you see in Linklater's work is a fascination with time and perception. Waking Life and A Scanner Darkly delve into those themes. 

This captures a string of moments. It's a way to live vicariously through these two people. It's hard not to hope their single night develops into something more. This was based on an evening in 1989 Linklater had with a woman in Philadelphia.

The fake phone call scene.

This is one of those movies that expands what a movie can be. It doesn't need a complicated plot to entertain. This movie forgoes what many movies seem to require and remains entertaining. In the restaurant the fake phone conversation is such an amazing scene. The characters can say what they really think because it's a game. You aren't really talking to the person in front of you. I really like it as a plot device and development. It's disarming as both characters allow vulnerability.  

I love the way this ends. They both relent and want to meet again after agreeing to having the encounter relegated to one night. The last few images are the landmarks of their walk, highlighted by a parting shot of each of them.