Cut to the chase: Charming and charismatic, Before Sunset is a simple tale as intimate as it is captivating. Hawke and Delpy capitalize on a chemistry that is absolutely palpable, fulfilling character depths in a matter of minutes of which other films often only dream.
Often in our lives, we meet people who are meant to leave an impression, shaping us – whether knowingly or not – into the person we will eventually become. The key is simply whether we recognize this individual at the time or forever wonder who that person could have been.
Richard Linklater’s sequel to the 1995 Before Sunrise, Before Sunset catches up with Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) in France nine years after their fateful evening together. Both have moved on with their lives and yet, neither seems to have really changed. Much is said and simultaneously, not much is needed to be said. Cold pangs of the past rear up as easily as glowing memories. And as the couple divulges details of their lives seemingly never before shared, Jesse’s impending departure back home – perhaps for good – pushes them closer and closer together.
Great art is said to imitate life. Indeed, Before Sunset echoes shades of reality throughout. The entire film virtually plays in real time, covering the course of the film’s 80 minutes running time. It takes place exactly nine years after Jesse and Celine’s first encounter in Before Sunrise, which was released nine years prior. In 2004, Ethan Hawke had just finalized his divorce, of which certain elements purportedly make their way into Hawke’s character (and it’s not hard to see how).
It’s no surprise then, that Before Sunset portrays such genuine and believable characters. Essentially a glorified walk-and-talk sequence that spans 80 minutes, the film eschews any real semblance of a plot and instead, allows Hawke and Delpy to inject the dialogue with enough wit, humor, lament, and longing to capture our attention for the entire ride.
At one point in the story, Jesse reflects on how his personal life lies in shambles, despite the financial success of a new book. He gazes longingly out the car window as he recollects the distance that has grown between him and his wife. It quickly becomes evident that Jesse has rarely voiced this information, if ever. And Celine knows it. Indeed, she casually – almost, instinctively – reaches out her hand as if to run her fingers through Jesse’s hair. And yet at the last minute, she refrains. Too much time has passed; too many events have transpired. Yet with not a word said, Delpy conveys both a sadness and a longing that’s as poignant as it is arresting.
This is a rare sequel that was made for all the right reasons. Linklater’s desire stemmed not from money or fame, but from a true passion to tell a story. Linklater (who’s also worked with Hawke and Delpy on Before Sunrise as well as Waking Life) effortlessly milks the chemistry between Hawke and Delpy. Honestly, half of the lines in the film don’t work on paper; yet once in the hands of Hawke, Delpy, and Linklater, they ring with a richness and vulnerability that simply cannot be faked.
This is proof that great movies needn’t resort to CGI gimmicks or over-thought plot clichés in order to engage an audience. This is proof that the most basic of human emotions can resonate farther and deeper than any large-scale Hollywood production. I can only wish that Linklater will once again revisit these characters many years down the road – and that I will be witness to the next chapter in their journey.
