i saw before sunset in theaters, having never seen this film. i watched them in the same order again, the sequel then the first one. it kind of feels like cheating, but i like it better this way. the way the day is romanticized makes it sound like this spectacular, awe-inspiring experience, and in reality it cant really hold up to it. memory has a very tricky way of making the past seem so much better or worse than it really happened.
still though, i admit i was choking it back a bit at the end. partially because of the actual drama in the scene, partially because i knew for a fact that they wouldnt meet, and partially because i have been in that same situation before, leaving someone you really care for and not knowing for sure if youll ever see them again.
the difference in ethan hawke’s acting between the two is staggering, while julie delpy remains consistently organic.
overall, it has a very 90s feel, idealistic. i think i like the sequel better, but only because it builds on this film, prefects the formula.

I like both Before Sunrise and Before Sunset. A lot of people probably got mad after they saw this movie because they expected it to be an overly dramatic movie with a Cinderella ending but the movie is supposed to be more realistic and I appreciated the scriptwriters who kept that in mind. I can see myself in either Celene or Jessie’s place and I liked the open ending of both of the movies. The ending of Before Sunset leaves a lot of direct answers about Jessie’s happiness with his life back home…

I thought their chemistry in Before Sunset was much better. Jesse’s kind of annoying in this one. I couldn’t really feel the “connection” they had in Before Sunset.

Maybe it’s just me.

It’s one of few movies touching my heart. There is no splendid scene (like palace, ball, bombing etc.) nor dramatic plot (such as Ceilin didn’t get on the train but went with Jesse. It always happens in Korean movies/tv, making me think I am the movie scripter:)). It’s very real, and just a day of ordinary people. And I suddenly realize they talk much, more than otheres in movies, and quite interesting. I like Ethan Hawke’s subtle acting. I guess I watched his other films but cannot come out one. Anyway, it’s a good film and I’m gonna watch its continuation.

I watched this movie for the second time last month, many years after it first came out, and enjoyed it even more this time than I did upon first viewing. Maybe it’s because I’m in that nearly-thiry age range and the connection between this one and its follow-up 9 years later (in “real life” as well as in the film) seems that much more poignant when viewed from the threshold of “adult life”... or maybe it’s just one of those films that I’ll always enjoy. Whatever the case, it’s a thinker but also a funny little charmer – definitely my kind of film.

I like other stuff Richard Linklater’s done, but I was disappointed by this. I kept wishing Ethan Hawke would shut his mouth so I could enjoy the movie. His portrayal of Jesse brought new meaning to the word smarmy. Julie Delpy was convincing, which only made Ethan that much more annoying.
There’s better movies where people sit around and talk about life, love, fear, death, etc. I was thinking through the whole movie that this was the French New Wave gone yuppie.

This movie was definitely worth watching – in a few places I just thought, “well, there’s my life in a nutshell.” I don’t know if that means EVERYONE will like it, but it was personally pretty meaningful and interesting to see.