Featured Audience Ratings

• c0up  

  
  'Before Sunrise'. The chemistry between Hawke and Delpy is irresistible, and oh-so-real in this dialogue-heavy, impeccably written exploration of love. Surely one of the greatest romantic comedies out there.

• Jonathan H

  
  Sincere. Brave. Honest. These are a few words to describe Richard Linklater's astounding ode to self-discovery. One would be hard-pressed to find a film that so precisely and brilliantly captures the many nuances of relationships and the process of being truly vulnerable in the… More
  Sincere. Brave. Honest. These are a few words to describe Richard Linklater's astounding ode to self-discovery. One would be hard-pressed to find a film that so precisely and brilliantly captures the many nuances of relationships and the process of being truly vulnerable in the presence of another. While films like Rebel Without a Cause and Say Anything tackle similar subject matter, Before Sunrise has the audacity to strip down useless subplots and Hollywood divergences and, to borrow a phrase, get to the heart of the matter. You almost immediately sense the synergy and the chemistry between Jesse and Celine, and it is simply pure joy to watch them find it. Powerful in its simplicity, and bold in its eschewing of filmic conventions, Before Sunrise (as well as Sunset -- and perhaps Midnight?--) takes its place as one of the best love stories ever told -- undoubtedly Linklater's masterpiece.

• Liam G

  
  A raw yet beautiful romance with extremely authentic and sharp dialogue and excellent performances.

• Wildaly M

  
  Must-see. This is what great romance movies are made of.

• Red L

  
  It is different. A movie that takes place over a day and night - just two strangers meeting each other on a train and finding out about each other before one of them has to fly back to America in the morning.

• Paulo G

  
  Nothing else quite catches the true essence of romance like Before Sunrise did. Along with its witty dialogue and showcase of great chemistry between Delphy and Hawke, it captures the heart of the audience, giving its wholesome insights about love, the most general and vague topic one… More
  Nothing else quite catches the true essence of romance like Before Sunrise did. Along with its witty dialogue and showcase of great chemistry between Delphy and Hawke, it captures the heart of the audience, giving its wholesome insights about love, the most general and vague topic one could take.

• Jens S

  
  The premise may sound a tad boring: two strangers meet on a train to Vienna and decide to spend the night there by wandering through the streets talking, before they part ways again. It is the chemistry between Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy and their characters that makes this work,… More
  The premise may sound a tad boring: two strangers meet on a train to Vienna and decide to spend the night there by wandering through the streets talking, before they part ways again. It is the chemistry between Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy and their characters that makes this work, after all. Their conversations range from mundane, interesting to philosophical, but they always feel real, even if sometimes a little pretentious. That's still a lot more entertaining than it sounds and in its best moments even feels as if you are having a very special date in a beautiful city yourself. So when the film closes with shots from the places the couple visited, now empty and abandoned, you can't help but feel you were there with them, for that unique and interesting day in a foreign city.

• Coxxie M

  
  if you don't like this, you've probably never been in love and if you love the movie, then you're a pretentious bastard.

• Steven C

  
  This film has everything I look for (and sometimes demand) from a film. A tiny masterpiece of writing, acting, storytelling, characters and directing. A heartfelt film about human nature, connection and a philosophical exploration of love. Gentle and haunting.

• Jameson W

  
  Brilliant, brilliant film! I really liked Ethan Hawke in Training Day, so when I stumbled upon this film, I knew I wanted to check it out even though I had NEVER heard of it before. I absolutely loved it! This dialogue driven romance is close to perfection...you must see it!… More
  Brilliant, brilliant film! I really liked Ethan Hawke in Training Day, so when I stumbled upon this film, I knew I wanted to check it out even though I had NEVER heard of it before. I absolutely loved it! This dialogue driven romance is close to perfection...you must see it! Before Sunrise is simply the story of a tourist and a French traveler who meet on a train, talk, and fall in love. Though it is simple and nothing more than a 100 minute conversation between two strangers, it's so much more! The script is absolutely perfect! The dialogue is smart, powerful, and real. Add to that the brilliant chemistry between Hawke and Julie Delpy and you have an excellent film that completely takes you in. You fall in love with the characters and believe everything they say. I cannot recommend this film enough!

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"No, then it's like some male fantasy. Meet a French girl on the train, fuck her, and never see her again."</i> A young man and woman meet on a train in Europe, and wind up spending one romantic evening together in Vienna. Unfortunately, both know that… More
  <i>"No, then it's like some male fantasy. Meet a French girl on the train, fuck her, and never see her again."</i> A young man and woman meet on a train in Europe, and wind up spending one romantic evening together in Vienna. Unfortunately, both know that this will probably be their only night together. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> 'Before Sunrise' is an example of cinema at its purest, simplest and most sincere form. How can I start describing it? Shall I start with the dazzling locations? The beautiful score? The stupendous screenplay? The breathtaking dialogues? The vivacious cinematography? The terrific direction? The excellent performances? Linklater is clearly a very versatile director. The way he's put everything in this film together is outstanding. Even though I'm familiar with Europe, the way he portrays the locations makes me want to visit those places. Throughout the film we see Jesse and Celine walk through the streets of Vienna and Linklater wonderfully returns to the same places in the end and even though both the characters have left for their respective current destinations the one feels their essence as if walking down memory lane. The development of the bond between Celine and Jesse is shown in a very subtle form. We can easily see how they are falling in love by noticing the way they look at each other, the way they talk to each other and the way they touch each other. The dialogues are sheer magic. The exceptional combination of humour, philosophy, spontaneity and subtlety brings a uniqueness about its treatment and yet it feels fascinatingly familiar. A charismatic Ethan Hawke and luminous Julie Delpy deliver natural performances. There is a sizzling chemistry and it is very easy to lose sight of the fact that they were acting. I feel both these two extraordinary actors are criminally underrated. The soundtrack marvelously stays in tune with the film. The cinematography guides us through the city as we walk along with Celine and Jesse, participating as silent observers without them being aware.

• Sajin P

  
  An amazing movie .Simple, honest and one of its kind(Along with its sequel).

• Conner R

  
  This is probably one of the most unique love stories ever put on screen, mostly because it's so honest and realistic. The complete dependence on the performances is an incredibly bold decision, which ultimately pays off. Both Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy are amazing as a couple… More
  This is probably one of the most unique love stories ever put on screen, mostly because it's so honest and realistic. The complete dependence on the performances is an incredibly bold decision, which ultimately pays off. Both Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy are amazing as a couple and giving equally strong performances as realistic characters. You can tell that a lot of the mannerisms are borrowed from real life, but never does it feel as though we are seeing two actors on screen. The way the story is told is extremely well done, it manages to be romantic without even trying to be. I love that there's no soundtrack or even that many shots in the movie. It focuses on the story and characters.

• Chris W

  
  I have mentioned in some of my past reviews that of the many different types of film I enjoy, one of them is the type where the story takes place over the course of a few hours or a day. This is one such film. This also happens to be a film by Richard Linklater (whose work I really… More
  I have mentioned in some of my past reviews that of the many different types of film I enjoy, one of them is the type where the story takes place over the course of a few hours or a day. This is one such film. This also happens to be a film by Richard Linklater (whose work I really enjoy). I'm not real big on romance films, but when I can find one done right, then I'm usually pretty happy. This is one of those films. This movie is almost sickeningly sweet and romantic. It's also pretty honest and realistic. This isn't some sort of feel-good fantasy, it's two souls who meet, spend a day together in a city just wandering around and talking, then part ways- possibly never to see one another again. This, like my favorite Linklater film (Dazed and Confused) is a film I would like to/wish I would have made. It's a simple concept, and shouldn't really work, but it does. I think it does work because iLinklater knows that films don't have to have plot to be good. Not much really happens here aside from walking and talking, but it feels like an immense amount of time has passed once the end credits roll. The characters have interesting things to talk about, and a lot fo this reminded me of sitting in smokey bars and greasy spoons yakking my head off over coffee or beer with friends. In a way, I feel a lot liek Jesse. I try to cover up romanticism with cynicism. I however, do not have the artsy, slacker attitude or looks of Jesse (or Hwake), and am not quite as cynical, but he is a character I feel I am on a similar plane with. Julie Delpy is charmingly cute, but not a sexy bombshell. I'm okay with that. I think she's a wonderful actress (with talent and looks), and she fits the part pefectly, as does Hawke. She seems too uptight and opinionated, just like how Jesse is perhaps too much of an immature bum. Even though these two aren't the most likeable people, you can't/don't hate them because they are too similar to most of the world's population. I basically loved everything about this film. The dialogue and performances have to carry it, because there's really nothing else, but that's fine, because those are done so well. The music and camera work are also nice. Besides just walking and talking the scenery is gorgeous, and the music is just as fun to listen to as the conversations. I think I may actually hate this film because I wish I would have seen it sooner and also because this is the type of thing I'd love to do (cinematically and in real life). I'm mad that this film beat me to it. It's a wonderful concept and the ending for me was just great. Had this been directed by some other director, most of this (if not all of it) would have been false, too sappy, and had an eyerolling worthy ending. Bravo.

• Ken S

  
  What everyone wishes their European vacation would be like.

• Fernando Rafael Q

  
  Impossibly charming, offbeat romance set in Vienna. The writing by Richard Linklater (who also directed) and Kim Krizan is genius. The honest, organic, realistic performances by Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy make this love story relatable.

• Dan S

  
  A special, extremely romantic, and ultimately heart-wrenching film concerning two young adults who experience a "chance encounter" with one another. This is simple, organic, and completely brilliant film making, with both Hawke and Delpy rising to the occasion of engaging… More
  A special, extremely romantic, and ultimately heart-wrenching film concerning two young adults who experience a "chance encounter" with one another. This is simple, organic, and completely brilliant film making, with both Hawke and Delpy rising to the occasion of engaging the audience consistently in a dialogue-driven film. Although it does bog down at certain points, the only little imperfection I noticed, this movie for the most part is flawless. I feared the ending would take a turn into "Hollywood" territory, but instead it stayed true to itself and the film felt completely realistic all the way to it's somber finale. I really wish more love stories like this would emerge into the limelight nowadays, instead of formulaic films with two sexy stars and no chemistry that seemingly never works anymore. This is one of the best movies I've seen concerning relationships and love - hands down.

• familiar s

  
  blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah......... yawwwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnn. Wonder why so many people like it so much!!! This surely wasn't my cup of tea.

• Anthony L

  
  Not many film makers get away with dialogue only films but with Hawke and Delpy's brilliant performances and electric chemistry, Linklater has produced his master piece. With some beautiful backdrops and excellent photography, Before Sunrise captures the very essence of love at… More
  Not many film makers get away with dialogue only films but with Hawke and Delpy's brilliant performances and electric chemistry, Linklater has produced his master piece. With some beautiful backdrops and excellent photography, Before Sunrise captures the very essence of love at first sight. A beautiful film.

• E.J. B

  
  The best independent film ever!

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