Review of Before We Go (2014) by Tiana M — 25 Apr 2018

Chris Evan's directorial debut, Before We Go, is a one-night-romance kind of romantic comedy starring Alice Eve as Brooke and Chris Evans as Nick. The pair traverse New York City at night trying to get Brooke home to Boston before morning. Before We Go joins a long lineage of "Before Sunrise" type movies but separates itself from the bunch by proving to be more about making complicated decisions and dealing with the outcomes of those decisions.

The film is set in New York City but shows a much more relaxed version of the city, with very little people accompanying the leading duo in most scenes. It is a definite contrast to most movies that try to showcase the rush of NYC especially but the quietness of the city paints a more realistic depiction of the city at night and allows for more intimacy throughout scenes.

The soundtrack is made up of slow indie songs that work for the movie and add to the overall aesthetic of what an indie film typically looks like. The pace of the plot is slowed down a bit and filled with close up shots that are meant to give the character interaction intensity, and do so successfully. Before We Go focuses on the evolution of the relationship between Brooke and Nick, having most scenes portray the two characters exclusively with the occasional minor character in the background making a sandwich or standing on a street curb.

The choice to contain each scene to the two characters allows the viewer to really delve into the emotional world of each character. Both Brook and Nick struggle with the consequences of the decisions they have made in past and current relationships. The film captures them both helping each other work those consequences out and gives both characters significance within the other's life at that moment which is really what the movie is all about: two people meeting at the right time.