Background: When I learned a sequel to Before Sunrise was coming out, I was thrilled. As far as I know, it didn’t play in theaters around here, but I saw it shortly after its release on a premium cable movie channel that my roommate and I got for free. It didn’t quite live up to my expectations, but I did enjoy it. When I saw it in the $5 bin at Walmart, I picked it up, mainly so I’d have the set of two movies.
Reaction: I feel the same about Before Sunset as I did about Before Sunrise. I actually had watched part of this movie shortly after I bought it, but my attention kept wandering, so I turned it off … never a good sign!
Perhaps if I hadn’t tried watching the films back-to-back, I would have enjoyed this one more tonight. As it was, it was a lot of conversation with little action for one night!
So it turns out that Jesse and Celine didn’t meet up in Vienna as planned. In the intervening nine years, Jesse has become a best-selling author; he wrote a “fictional” account of their night together. Celine finds him at a book signing in Paris, and they spend the next several hours conversing … and Jesse tries to decide if he’s going to leave his wife and take a shot at a relationship with Celine.
As was the case in the first movie, we viewers don’t know how the story ends. In the first film, I chose to believe they did meet up again in six months, and then lived happily ever after. Obviously, the filmmakers had other ideas. In Before Sunset, though, I really hope Jesse decided to go home to his wife. The way the movie ends would lead you to believe he chooses Celine, but in the "Becky" version of the story, Jesse decides to return to his wife and son and give his marriage another chance.
Verdict: Sell (Buy it here. You could even buy it with Before Sunrise and save on shipping!)
***Update 9/8/09: Less than two hours after I listed it on half.com, it was purchased for $1.06. The buyer also bought Before Sunrise!
liked this one better than the original. they did a phenomenal job at knowing & expressing their characters. it just grips me every time.
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