Before Sunset (DVD) (WS)

Although artistic, indie films are not my usual fare, I LOVED this movie, as well as its predecessor, "Before Sunrise", which I first encountered on cable back in '95. It was a great movie about being young and in love. Two people have a magical night together, and plan to meet again in six months time. "Before Sunrise" ended on that note, and being something of a romantic, I always liked to think they both came back as they promised, and got together. This movie finally answers that question. A rarity among sequels, it manages to equal its predecessor. "Before Sunset" follows the same format as the first film. What makes it work is that the characters really do act like people who have aged a decade. They're no longer college age kids, but grown, working adults. In this film they talk more about their experiences than their hopes, ambitions, and desires. You can see how life has worn some of their idealism off. This is a great touch of realism. They're the same characters, but their not really the same people anymore. Well, nine years after their romantic night together, we see that through no fault of theirs, their planned rendezvous in Vienna never happened. They meet again in Paris, and as the movie progresses, it gradually becomes obvious that neither of them ever really got over the other. Jesse admits that when he got married, he settled for what he thought would be good enough. His marriage is not a happy one, and he has only remained in it because of his son, and even so, he worries about his son growing up in a joyless home. Celine has bounced from one unsatisfying relationship to another, growing more cynical about romance with each one. The only reason her current boyfriend is still her boyfriend is because his work requires him to travel a lot, so he's not around often enough to get under her skin like the rest of them did. Celine candidly admits that she feels like she's dying inside, and Jesse tells her his life's even worse. Just as in the first film, they have only a short time to spend together. Jesse has to catch a plane for New York. But this brief time is enough to reveal that their old magic is still there, and you can see them falling for each other all over again. As another reviewer remarked, those who say that this movie ended on an ambiguous note, as the first film did, are missing the subtext. I think it is no coincidence at all that when Linklater, Delpy, and Hawke chose to feature a song sung by Nina Simone (in a scene near the end, when Jesse plays it on Celine's stereo), the one they chose was "Just in Time". You can't hear the lyrics so easily in this film, but if you know this song (I do) you can see that it could be a Cri de Coeur from either character to the other: Just in time, you've found me just in time. Before you came, my time was running low. I was lost; the losing dice were tossed. My bridges all were crossed. Nowhere to go. Now you're here. Now I know where I'm going No more doubt or fear. I've found my way For love came just in time. You've found me just in time, And changed my lonely nights that lucky day. And when Celine, imitating Nina Simone, says to Jesse: "Baby, you are gonna miss that plane." He replies: "I know". The way he says it, however, is more like: "You're d*** right I am." They both let "the one" get away before. There's no way they're going to let it happen again. Since Jesse and Celine do get their happy ending - or rather, happy beginning - in this film, I really hope they don't make another sequel. It could only be dramatic if it shows them having a relationship that has some troubles (and who wants to see that?), or if they somehow fail to get together after all, and lose more of their precious, irreplaceable years. Besides that, I am impressed that they managed to maintain the quality of the first film in a sequel. I'm not at all sure they could do it again. Better to leave the characters on a high note.

Ok, I finally had to weigh in on Before Sunset. Along with Before Sunrise, it is an outstanding film and probably the stronger of the two for the genuine honesty that is expressed throughout. You really can believe that two people would actually talk and feel the way these characters do. Here's my only beef with the story... I had a tough time swallowing Celine's excuse for making no attempt to contact Jesse at the train station where they were supposed to have met after the first film. Sure, I know her grandmother died and they didn't have each other's phone numbers, etc., but isn't this the same grandmother Celine described in the first film as having lost the love of her life and accepting her "fate". I can't believe that her parents, assuming she confided in them, wouldn't have helped her work something out to see Jesse and maybe even have him come along to Budapest with her late to the funeral. At the very least she could have called the train station and paid a messenger of some sort to look for him and get a message to him. She appeared the most eager, until Jesse's short speech at the end of the first film, to actually connect again. If they were as in love as they appeared to be, which the second film confirms, I can't imagine Celine not doing everything she could to try and make contact with him. If not in person, at least with a message. My wife even commented that she would have made the effort to find me given similar circumstances. Yes, yes, I know it's just a movie and they had to come up with some type of situation to explain why there was no connection on that day nine years ago. I probably could have bought it more if Celine had tried to get a message to him at the station and the messenger was unable to get it to him or missed him somehow. That would have added some great dialogue to the script and given Jesse at least the knowledge that she had tried, as he had. It still would have been tragic, but would have made better sense with how in love they had been. Other than that this is a great film. It's just that when a movie comes across as so realistic and honest, the one major detail on which the whole story hinges could have been made more believable without taking anything away from the rest of the story just as it is. Should they do another movie with a messy, but happy ending? Of course they should. If I had my way they would end the next movie arm in arm, looking at each other smiling, walking down a Parisian street at sunset with the James Taylor version of "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" playing in the background as the shot freezes and the credits roll. I know, I know, a bit "hokey", but hey... without the romantics of this world it would be a dark and dreary place indeed.

My rating is more for the seller, bought this for my sister, who gives it 5 stars though! Seller was fast and even wrote a nice 'enjoy your movie' note, which I thought was a very nice touch!

Película magnífica y buena edición en DVD. Teniendo cuenta que ya no hacen la edición española, esta hace exactamente el mismo papel pues efectivamente tiene idioma y subtítulos en castellano

Einige Wochen nach "Before Sunrise" habe ich "Before Sunset" gesehen, wer den ersten Film unmittelbar nach Erscheinen sah und dieses Paar Julie Delpy und Ethan Hawke geschlagenen 9 Jahre später jetzt erneut: Es hat sich gelohnt, Julie Delpy ist noch schöner geworden, und die Harmonie zwischen den beiden Darstellern ist wieder grandios. Die beiden hatten sich bei ihrem Abschied versprochen, sich in 6 Monaten in Wien wiederzutreffen, Julie konnte wegen des Todes der geliebten Großmutter nicht, Ethan sei auch nicht dagewesen, was Julie aber bald als Schwindel, mit dem er ihr ein schlechtes Gewissen ersparen will, entlarvt. Ethan ist auf Lesereise durch Europa für sein Buch, und die Lesung findet in Julie''s Stammbuchladen in Paris statt, in dem man stundenlang ungestört schmökern könne. Es bleibt noch etwas Zeit, bis sein Flieger geht, und so schlendern sie gemeinsam durch die Stadt, besuchen ein Café und machen eine kurze Ausflugsbootsfahrt auf der Seine. Sie erzählen sich über ihren beruflichen Werdegang, ihre Träume und ihr Liebesleben, kein platter Small-Talk oder billlige Küchentischpsychologie. Er liebt seinen Sohn, hat aber eher aus Konvention wegen der Schwangerschaft geheiratet, die Ehe ist in Routine und Langeweile erstarrt. Sie hatte kurze Beziehungen, unter deren Ende sie einzeln nicht gelitten hat, aber insgesamt sei ihr jedesmal ein Stück von ihr verloren gegangen. Sie gehen schließlich noch in Julie's Wohnung, idyllisch in einem weitläufigem Hinterhof hinter einem Hinterhof gelegen, wo Nachbarn gerade grillen und sie seit 4 Jahren wohne. Nach Gang über 2 Etagen eines abgenutzten Treppenhauses sind sie in ihrer Wohnung mit wenig Trennwänden, führen die Unterhaltung fort, und Julie spielt sich auf der Gitarre begleitend einen Song für ihn, insgesamt hören wir im Film 3 Lieder von Julie komponiert und gesungen, man sieht, dass sie Gitarre spielen kann. Schließlich teilt sie ihm mit, er verpasse seinen Flieger. "Ich weiß." - Und wir dürfen uns auf "Before Midnight" freuen. Mich hat der Film mit seinen wunderbar harmonisierenden Darstellern begeistert wie der Vorgänger. Ein Kritiker schreibt, die beiden spielten mit traumwandlerischen Sicherheit. Stimmt, und das ist wahrscheinlich auch nur möglich, weil beide beim Drehbuch mir Regisseur und Drehbuchverfasser Richard Linklater zusammengearbeitet haben, was man ihrem "übernatürlich" natürlichen Spiel in einem Film, der fast nur aus Dialogen besteht, anmerkt. Handlungsarm, aber selten fesseln zwei Darsteller uns mehr vor die Leinwand als Ethan Hawke und Julie Delpy. Wer den ersten Film genossen hat, will und muss diese Fortsetzung sehen und auch den wieder fast 10 Jahre später gedrehten "Before Midnight". Ein traumhaft schöner beglückender Film! Doc Halliday

J ai les 3. C est un plaisir de les avoir. Le dernier de la trilogie est en version anglaise mais sans importance et je dirai c est meme mieux. Pour les 2 premiers vous pouvez choisir votre langue. Je recommande.

Por desgracia la calidad de imagendeja bastante que desear para una película de principios de los 2000.