Before Sunset (Wide Screen) > Reviews > For True Romantics Only!

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Loved it
Story	Outstanding
Characters / Performances	Outstanding
Special Effects	Standard
How does it compare to similar films?	Outstanding

Advantages:	Everything .
Disadvantages:	Nothing .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

You know when you hear about films for years and years and actually never bother to watch them? Well I was like that with before sunrise and recently I actually got round to watching it and it was great. As I had waited years to watch it they had bought out a sequel to the film 'before sunset' and it is this that I sat down to watch with my sister and cousin on Saturday afternoon. I have to say I loved it more than the first one and I thought as a sequel and a film it was so perfect and hopefully I will get over to why I thought this in this review.

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The Film:

We are now nine years after the first film before sunrise where Jesse and Celine meet on a train and spend one romantic and truly memorable night in Vienna. They leave each other saying that they will meet in 6 months time and then the film ends leaving you wondering what happened to the two of them and did they actually turn up? Well this film gives you all the answers and picks up nine years later.

Jesse has just published a book based on his meeting with Celine which has gone straight to the top of the best selling list over in America. He is doing a book tour and his last stop is in Paris in a remote small book store. Celine has heard about his stop and turns up at the book store to surprise him and see how he is. The bad thing is that Jesse must catch a plane that day so they have precious time together to explore Paris and to find out if they still get on with each other so well.

Verdict on the Story:

This story is absolutely fantastic and I have to say one of the most romantic films I have ever seen it was that wonderful. From the moment the film starts you are taken straight back to the world of Jesse and Celine so I do suggest you watch the first film before sunrise before you do try and watch this one as you will enjoy it so much more. The great thing about this film is that because of the first you already know so much about the characters so you feel as if you are back with old friends.

The story plays out so well and mirroring the feeling of the first film with them chatting and catching up. Some people who were in the same room and caught parts of the film said it looked boring as all they do is chat and although that is true this film has so much going for it that everything about it is interesting to the viewer. The topics of conversation, music and the beautiful scenery of Paris all come together perfectly throughout the movie giving a perfect film.

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Cast and Characters:

Ethan Hawke - Jesse
Julie Delpy - Celine

As I think you can guess from the fact I have said that I adored the first film then you can guess that I utterly approve of the cast in this film. Hawke and Delpy both reprise their previous roles with ease and manage to jump straight back into the loveable characters from before sunrise. They are older and wiser in this film though and the good thing about it is that they have aged in real time to the films and it is just wonderful to see the great chemistry between these two actors.

The characters themselves are fantastic and after watching both films I think it is amazing that you know so much about them that you feel like they are your friends (I know that sounds a bit sad). Seriously though there is so much character development in this film that you do feel like you know so much about them and you do not want the film to end because of the story and the fact that you want to see what happens to these people. Never before have I seen in a film two characters who have the most amazing chemistry that you can almost see the sparks between the two of them. Fantastic!

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Things to Know:

Runtime - 77 minutes
Certificate - 15
Price - £5.97 from Amazon
1 Disc DVD

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Special Features:

There is a trailer which is pretty standard and then a behind the scenes featurette which gives you a small idea on what it was like to be on the set on this film. I really enjoyed it as it looked a great film to be involved with in terms of working and having a laugh. It is a shame there are not more special features but there you go.

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Verdict:

I was amazed by this film because usually I hate films which just show people talking and there is no action at all but with this one it just hooks you in from the start and you cannot help but fall in love with it. Everything is great from the script to the characters to the music so I applaud all those who helped bring this film to life and also for creating a sequel which more than matches the first in terms of enjoyment.

The film itself leaves you feeling all nice and believing in romantic encounters because it is a magical story. The thought of love at first sight and soul mates is something I believe in anyway so this film embodies all of my thoughts on the subject and puts them as a story. Before Sunset is truly one of the best cinematic efforts I have seen to do with romance as it is one of those that seems to take the idea and play everything out so perfectly so that even the most cynical of us should feel good at watching this.

Jesse and Celine are some of the most in-depth and interesting characters I have ever seen in a movie. The reason for this is because you do find out so much about them as you watch the two films and you feel like you know them. This is the magic of the two of them because I just want to keep watching them and would sit there waiting for the next one to speak, feeling quite excited about what would happen.

Other things I love about the movie include the music because it is so soft and suits the movie so much that like the first you get taken further into relaxing with the two characters. Another thing I loved was all that they showed of Paris. They did not go over the top by showing you all of the main attractions and pretending that they would have enough time to visit them all, instead you are shown features that you perhaps wouldn't see and most of the time you don't even know whereabouts in Paris they are which is wonderful.

One more thing that is worth noting is that this movie is shot in real time which is fun. I think this would have been very fun to film and it shows how talented the actors are as some scenes go on for quite a while.

Yes I know the majority of the guys on this site are going to say to me, but it sounds like a chick flick but my cousin watched it with us and loved it and I have also had several guys tell me that they adore this film. Plus most guys could learn something about romance from watching the two films as they are just unbelievingly romantic it is fantastic so come on guys and give it a go.

In conclusion I could not give this film any less than five stars as it was absolutely wonderful and one of the most enjoyable films I have seen in ages. The thing is that when you get characters like these you do not want the film to end and this is exactly how it left me, wanting more. Everything about this film is great which is why I think it is a completely perfect film. I hope they make a third film soon as I am having withdrawal symptoms and to be honest I think I might go home tonight and watch it again as I cant stop thinking about it, I loved it that much.

Thanks for reading.

xxx