Albert Delpy, Diabolo, Ethan Hawke

Nine years ago, two strangers met by chance, spent a night together in Vienna, and parted before sunrise. Now, they're about to cross paths again--in Paris--where they will get the chance we all wish ...( read more  read more... )we had: to find out what might have been. The only problem is they have just a few hours to figure out if they belong together.

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90% liked it

21,686 ratings

Critics

94% liked it

154 critics

R, 1 hr. 20 min.

Directed by: Richard Linklater

Release Date: July 2, 2004

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DVD Release Date: November 9, 2004

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Stats: 4,506 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (4,506)


  • September 15, 2009
    Before Sunrise gathered a huge global fan-base on its realise without becoming mainstream. It was a beautiful little indie that passed most people by, so you felt lucky to have caught it. I think the announcement of a sequel was a bit of a surprise to most people, I certainly had...( read more) my concerns, but thankfully, Linklater, Hawke and Delpy came up trumps. It's basically a continuation of the first film, albeit 9 years later. I challenge any cynic not to applaud the way this film handles, not just the question of love, but also how your perceptions of love change through time. Another beautiful film but I think it can be left alone now, there is no need for a third, we'll just use our imaginations as to what happens next.
  • November 21, 2008
    its great, i cant believe it was an hour and change
  • May 15, 2008
    Before Sunset is a rare occurance in which a sequel not only lives up to, but perhaps even slightly edges out the first. This was marvelous.

    I was astounded that the movie was essentially exactly the same in form, yet it's content was almost the direct opposite. Everything about...( read more) the film is darker. It's not really about love anymore - it's about missed opportunities. The playfulness of the first film is replaced with a more solemn and fairly reserved atmosphere... I particularly liked the scene in the car as it seems like such a foreign environment for the characters. It's not all beautiful Paris anymore, but a claustrophobic, cold, black shell. There's still the same sense of intimacy there, but you certainly don't watch it with the same joy. Nothing at all seems idealized in the slightest. This all seems fitting considering that this is the scene cluttered with confession - the exchange itself makes you take a very close look at your life.

    Don't get me wrong, I didn't feel this was depressing. It's realistic, and more of a self examination rather than melancholic and sappy. The story is tragic in some ways, but it's also a reunion and extremely pleasant to watch.

    The screenplay for this, like all Linklater films, is extraordinarily naturalistic. I can't think of many other screenwriters with similar talent for clean and flowing dialogue. And even more impressive is that with all the tangents the characters get on, we never lose focus on what the true heart of the film is... every little line that seems to be detracting from the main story is relevant to the growth of the characters.

    Because Hawke and Delpy wrote their own lines we never once get the sense that anything seems "out of character". There was a few startling moments shortly into the film, such as a huge increase in sexuality from the first, but shortly thereafter you realize that it's one of many subtle changes in character of both Jesse and Celine. It's beautiful because we never think that they aren't the same characters as the people in the first film, we completely recognize that they've matured.

    I very much enjoyed the discussion in the cafe at the start of the film. Linklater examines the idea of a soul mate, and even mentions that Jesse and Celine lived nearby for over a year. Later on, we hear that Jesse may have seen Celine on the way to his wedding. Truly makes you open your eyes to the outside world and think your "soul mate", if such a thing exists, is wondering around nearby somewhere. I love how rich Linklater's films are with philosophy... it's always so fascinating and compelling to listen to. Everytime Jesse says "I read this story about..." or "There was this study that...", you know you're in for a treat.

    The final half hour of this film is completely unforgettable... with the confessions in the backseat in the car, all the way up to the final line spoken in Celine's apartment. The chemistry between the characters is unreal.

    Like "Before Sunrise", this requires a lot of patience. The film is extraordinarily minimalistic. However, I never find it boring in the slightest at any point... i've seen very few performances as believable and compelling as both Hawke and Delpy's in both "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset".

    If you like character driven films, you should've seen this yesterday.
  • March 31, 2008
    Adds another wonderful chapter to an already wonderful story.
  • March 18, 2008
    Tracking shot after tracking shot...line of dialogue after line of dialogue, Before Sunset's real-time expose' of a conversation is enlightening through its simplicity, and captivating through its meandering. While the film tends to only heighten the problems of the first film, i...( read more)t somehow comes off the better picture for it. The intertwining of themes and ideas from the first film are transplanted beautifully in this as we follow the reality of cynicism vs. hope in love-lost lives; characters who reminisce and dream. The film has its many moments of truth in its many moments of talking, but it is ultimately the chemistry on and off the screen combined with the molding of the prior films breadcrumbs to blend this world smoothly that excels the film farther ahead.

    Be ready for the conclusion - its a subtly moving and expertly conceived piece of cutting of a film; a true test of the films overlaying concept.
  • November 7, 2009
    just like first one.. incredible!! (one star from not leaving a clue for sequel)
  • November 2, 2009
    I loved the first part but i liked this too, amazing plot and films.
  • October 18, 2009
    more lively, less awkward, still just as 'Real'
    than 'before sunrise'
    i liked this one more)
  • October 14, 2009
    Still "He said, She said" conversations exchanged. Only, time elapsed and young no more. All one can do is recalling days off being wild. Though, the open-ended ending was still beautiful & enchanting.
  • October 5, 2009
    How do you make a sequel to "Before Sunrise"? This is how!

Critic Reviews


July 3, 2004
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

Before Sunrise captures the exhilaration of connecting with another person; Before Sunset moves forward from there, burrowing into territory that's more complex and dangerous, but also perhaps more vi... full review

July 2, 2004
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

As drama, it doesn't hold up, and the screenplay's so loosely structured it almost seems improvised, but the affection that Linklater has for Jesse and Celine is so palpable that the movie coasts by o... full review

July 2, 2004
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

It has earthy (and therefore sexy) urban locations, a splendid originality of voice, a loose and distinctive visual style, and it sends audiences out humming with the realness and beauty of it all. ..... full review

July 2, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Before Sunset is better, perhaps because the characters are older and wiser, perhaps because they have more to lose (or win), and perhaps because Hawke and Delpy wrote the dialogue themselves. full review

July 1, 2004
David Edelstein, Slate

The bad news is that Before Sunset is not as delirious an experience as its predecessor. The good news is that it's wonderful anyway, and in ways that tell us something about our romance with Before S... full review

July 1, 2004
A.O. Scott, The New York Times

Though it is sometimes maddening, the movie's prodigious verbiage is also enthralling, precisely because of its casual disregard for the usual imperatives of screenwriting. full review

June 29, 2004
Marcy Dermansky, About.com

An unabashedly romantic film with an ending so perfect it took my breath away. full review

June 17, 2004
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

There is something uniquely unforgettable in the way Linklater, Hawke and Delpy (equal collaborators on the script) find nuance, art and eroticism in words, spoken and unspoken. full review

June 11, 2004
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine

The beauty and grace of Before Sunset is its unparalleled ability to capture the idiosyncratic rhythm and cadence of everyday dialogue. full review

View more Before Sunset reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • terris85017
    February 8, 2008
    I want to see it!! Great performer Ethan Hawke
  • gabysoul
    August 21, 2006
    is a great movie!! really is great!!

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Before Sunset Trivia


  • In what movie do three sisters come back from the dead and have to suck the lives out of all the children before sunset on halloween night?  Answer »
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