Before Sunset (Richard Linklater, 2004)

   Richard Linklater has now become one of my favorite filmmakers of all time. Dazed And Confused and Before Sunrise are both two of my most cherished films of all time. Before Sunset has certainly joined them in that very elite group. And I mean it is a group that features such gems as the widely-hated Marie Antoinette.
  The film picks up 9 years from where its prequel Before Sunrise left off. Jesse has been touring Europe promoting his best-selling novel, which is a recounting of the night he spent with Celine 9 years ago in Vienna. On the last leg of his tour, he finds himself in a Parisian bookstore when he runs into the woman that has haunted him for all those years. The two decide to grab a cup of coffee together and begin discussing the events of years past. They leave the cafe and explore Paris. Through both lies and soul bearing, Jesse and Celine realize how unhappy they are without each other, even with all of their professional success. They try not to focus on why they never met 6 months after their initial meeting as promised. Instead, they try to make the most of the little time Jesse has left before catching a flight back to the U.S.
   Admittedly, I loved this film a little less than the original. It took me longer to dive into Before Sunset as I felt it was becoming just a rehash of the first film, kind of like The Hangover and The Hangover 2. Yet, I found myself blinking in amazement when the credits began to roll. I have no idea when I became totally immersed into the film. It was involving. I feel like I've known these two characters all of my life. In the film, Jesse stated that he believes people don't really change as much as they would like to believe. I feel that this is especially true in regards to how the characters retain some of their original attributes despite their loss of hope and romanticism -- or perhaps their attempt to repress both emotions. The ending is just as ambiguous as the first's. Thus, I cannot wait to check out the related film Waking Life and this year's follow-up Before Midnight.
  Before Sunset is shorter and less fresh than Before Sunrise. Still, I maintain that this is one of the best sequels of all time in that it manages to live up to the standards set by the first film. Another fantastic film from Linklater.
Ludovico Rating