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Overall Rating
  Awesome: 53.45%
Worth A Look: 22.41%
Average: 18.97%
Pretty Bad: 3.45%
Total Crap: 1.72%
4 reviews, 34 user ratings
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| Before Sunrise |
by Dr Nick
"There is such a thing as a meaningful one-night stand"
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Something very rare. A romantic comedy that manages to be just that, both romantic AND funny. Linklater's dialogue-driven romantic race against the clock is one of the great modern date movies. All talk and not much action? Perhaps, but when it's this well-written who needs action?Usually the mere suggestion of watching a romantic comedy is enough to send shivers down my spine. Ninety minutes of watching women I don’t like falling for guys I want to kill or vice versa. I can think of better ways to spend my time. Somehow, because experiences of love and romance are so personal, it seems almost impossible to find a film that feels realistic and is sweet and moving without falling into the deep abyss of mushy sentimental goop. It’s especially difficult to find romantic comedies suitable for both sexes. They’re either too fluffy and cute for us macho men to handle or too sinister and dark for the little ladies. But, every now and again a film pops up that manages to perform this gargantuan task. Before Sunrise is one of those rare films, a romantic comedy which manages to be just that, both funny and romantic. Of course, there are some dodgy bits in it where it's all a bit too nice and you just want to smack both Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke for being so perfect for each other, but as a whole it's just a really, really nice film.
So, what is it all about? Jesse, an American college student is planning to spend the final day of his European travels in Vienna, before catching a flight back home. On the train there he bumps into Celine, a Parisian beauty and a connection is made. He convinces her to get off the train and explore Vienna together with him. They see the sights and gradually fall in love, with his time of departure getting closer and closer.
The most appealing thing about Before Sunrise lies in its simplicity. Since there is no real plot to follow, the audience is allowed to just sit back, relax and enjoy these very likeable characters in their romantic race against time. They go to bars, talk, dance, talk and talk. Not an easy task for an actor. Thankfully, the casting couldn't have been more perfect. The chemistry between the two leads is outstanding and there is no way the film would have worked otherwise. In true Linklater style, much of dialogue border on annoyingly pretentious, but both Delpy and Hawke manage to pull off the pseudo-intellectual bullshit admirably well. The contrast between Jesse's deep-rooted cynicism and Celine's optimism keeps their conversations interesting and it's very hard to dislike either of them. Actually, the whole film is very likeable and almost makes you belive in true love. Almost.Two people trying to make the most of the short time they have together in a new city. It's sweet. It's funny. It's everything most rom-coms wish they were.
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link directly to this review at http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=1947&reviewer=345
originally posted: 11/18/05 08:16:40
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OFFICIAL SELECTION: 2004 Seattle Film Festival. For more in the 2004 Seattle Film Festival series, click here.
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USA
27-Jan-1995 (R)
UK
N/A
Australia
02-Feb-1996 (M)
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