Review of Before Sunset (2004) by Kyle G — 23 May 2012
Cute, smart, and progressive in an interesting way. It seems, honestly, a little braver than its predecessor. While the original Before Sunrise (a sudden, one-night tryst in Vienna) used expressionistic, close-range, talk-heavy filmmaking to touch on just flirty and evanescent romance, Before Sunset (nine years later, meeting again in Paris) seems to focus on much deeper issues, like relationships, politics, commerce.
Still, this one seems messier and less satisfying in spite of that bravery, and it ends with a coy indecision (Yeah, probably gonna miss that plane--*wink*) instead of a deeply-felt ambiguity (Meet again? Um, maybe--*rushes off*). Music exemplifies that confusion: in Before Sunrise, the two of them listened to Kath Bloom's beautiful "Come Here," unpredictable and frankly a little weird; in Before Sunset, it's braver but messier when Julie Delpy performs her own "A Waltz for a Night.".
The whole movie is definitely an honest, crisp, colorful ballad to aimless and unconventional life, but not as straightforwardly successful as the first.
This review of Before Sunset (2004) was written by Kyle G on 23 May 2012.
Before Sunset has generally received very positive reviews.
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