Although a sequel may not have been entirely necessary, Before Sunset does provide some closure...
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07/02/04
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Before Sunset (2004)
94
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:154
Fresh:145
Rotten:9
Average Rating:8.2/10
Consensus: Filled with engaging dialogue, Before Sunset is a witty, poignant romance, with natural chemistry between Hawke and Delpy.
Theatrical Release:Jul 2, 2004 Limited
Box Office: $5,563,693
Synopsis: When Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) met on a Eurail train, the connection between them was immediate and profound. The 14-hour relationship that followed, as the pair explored the... [More]
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Reviews for Before Sunset
Before Sunset is that rare sequel, delicately complicating the original, while also creating its own elegant sense of anticipation.
07/02/04
A rare example of a sequel that is labor of love -– not one that worships at the altar of the Almighty Dollar.
07/02/04
The incessant jawboning of Before Sunset is all foreplay and no climax.
07/02/04
Top CriticBefore Sunset has an easy, unforced air about it, mostly because of what seems to be a real rapport between the two lead actors.
07/02/04
It eats at you, just like renewed love.
07/02/04
Top CriticThis sweet film is a genuine treat, even if there's little plot, no antic mayhem and its 90-minute running time is mostly consumed by nonstop, sometimes pretentious dialogue as Celine and Jesse meander together through pretty Paris neighborhoods.
07/02/04
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 on charm.
07/02/04
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. ... But it should have been twice as long.
07/02/04
Top CriticExceptionally smart and tenderly romantic.
07/02/04
One of the neat things about Before Sunset is that Delpy, like her character in these movies, dropped off the radar after Sunrise. Seeing her again is like seeing her through Hawke's eyes.
07/02/04
The film ultimately depicts thirtysomething melancholy just as effectively as its predecessor portrayed Gen-X romanticism.
07/02/04
Top CriticIt tells of a love affair so heady it generates goose bumps, yet the story unfolds with such unfailing honesty that its characters become people we know, their actions and words a reflection of our own experiences.
07/02/04
The naturalistic dialogue is a masterful bit of writing.
07/02/04
Top CriticHawke and Delpy are splendid. They love these characters, and why not? They wrote them.
07/02/04
It quickly becomes a bore, full of feel-good nonsense and half-baked philosophies from Delpy and Hawke's self-important syllogisms.
07/02/04
[Linklater's] best, most mature work to date and perhaps the most daringly subtle film of the year.
07/02/04
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.
07/02/04
Top CriticIt's a movie to cheer lovers and movie lovers alike -- an enchanting midsummer cocktail for two, served at dusk on the banks of the Seine.
07/02/04
Frankly, I wanted to stand up, shout "Get a room" at the two characters, and do something more interesting... like watching paint peel.
07/02/04
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