Review of Before Sunset (2004) by Ben B — 12 Oct 2017

A sometimes brutal examination of loss, regret, time, memory, duplicity, complacency, happiness, ambivalence, and change, Before Sunset shifts the focus away from its predecessor's exuberant and poetic messages of optimistic love and hope and instead shines a light on the harsh realities of broken relationships, cynical adult life, and the world, while showing how our pasts can live on and haunt us in unexpected ways, albeit sometimes for a reason.

Extremely long takes and minimal camera movement ground the film and allows the actors' conversations to feel genuine. The script is another masterclass in enthralling, diverse dialogue and is packed with deeply meaningful parables and reflections on the enigmatic, but ultimately flawed, human condition.

Although much of the film is full of gut wrenching realism, it again brilliantly ends on a soulful, mystical note of optimism and ambiguity.