Review of Before Sunrise (1995) by Abhishek J — 11 Feb 2013

It's basically a movie made up of conversations with a European backdrop, like a hybrid of MY DINNER WITH ANDRE and ROMAN HOLIDAY, but it's also an incredibly insightful and passionate romance, poignant and heartwarming/heartbreaking.

They meet on a train passing through Austria, an American slacker (Ethan Hawke) and a pretty French woman (Julie Delpy), and he convinces her to join him for a night in Vienna, from sunset to sunrise.

Through the course of the film, they simply stroll about the city, occasionally encountering interesting characters, but mostly talking through a vast range of topics such as love and relationships, sex, ambitions, memories and basically covering the human experience.

The film is exceptionally written,and the dialogue on which the movie relies rings true and honest while also incredibly intelligent and ambitious. It's really a very rich examination and exploration of relationship dynamics, illusions and idealizations.