Review of Before Sunrise (2005) by Scott M — 16 Mar 2011

A romance for the ages. Linklater's script is pitch perfect, and every decision he makes for these characters seems inspired and true. Placing two characters in a serendipitous situation, apart from either of their homes/friends/family, and letting them find their own chemistry in a place neither of them know is a brilliant concept, but more than just that, Linklater's execution is flawless.

On top of Linklater's greatness are two of the best performances I've seen in some time from Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. To explore the subtleties of each performance here would take too much time and I couldn't do it justice anyway, but both actors create real chemistry with each other in such a believable way, and without that the movie would be crap regardless of anything else.

The confines of their relationship within 20 or so hours is as beautiful as it is heartbreaking, and the more the characters try to forget this is only one night, the more foolishly they continue to fall deeper in love.

This is a refreshing film given how many crappy romantic movies come out each year, and it's no wonder why this continues to be mentioned in conversations about the best screen romances of all time.