Review of Before Sunrise (1995) by Kelly L — 24 Dec 2013

This little film turns out to be a big one. I watched it because of the reviews thinking I couldn't possibly enjoy a romance. But this film is much more than a romance. It's real and has stuck with me ever since.

This is a film about youth and romance but avoids the sappy callowness and lack of realism I so frequently find in movies about young relationships.

Both Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy provide excellent performances but it is Julie Delpy who stays with me. She is almost magnetic and I fall in love with her just as Jesse does. The script leaves a big question mark at the end and you wonder what are these two going to mean to one another down the road.

There is a sequel "Before Sunset" that maintains the integrity of "Before Sunrise" and is satisfying in its treatment.

I understand there has been another film, "Before Midnight", about this couple making this a trilogy and I want to see it.