Before Sunrise

2 strangers, 1 conversation, 1 city. Before Sunrise is not for everyone but if you get caught up in it, it won't let you go. I don't want to get into the details - it's better if you see it for yourself. When you witness the perfect chemistry between the main characters, when you stroll with them through summertime Vienna. Then perhaps Celine and Jesse's story will become something more for you. Something you will want to remember. P.S.: Yes, I know I'm a hopeless romantic. ;-) (01/28/2010)

There are just some movies you have to grow into. The more you’ve "lived it" and the more one can project your personal experiences into what is happening on screen, the more intense the final experience. In the first installment of Richard Linklater's trilogy, two people bump into each other on a train and start talking, bonding, and spending some magical time together (yes, I'm that pathetic). What got me the most about it was the bare fact that I just had to root for them so hard. I often finished their conversations for them in my head and tried to anticipate their reactions. There were a few times when I thought that this was pretty stupid and that I would have said it better :-) But as the film progresses, you realize that it's not really about anticipating reactions or tangible thoughts for the future. What's most valuable here is really the power of the moment (see the final projection of the places visited) and its multiplied value in situations where you experience it with someone you're just great with. Wow, Mr. Linklater. (12/21/2017)

A beautiful example of how romance can look like. There is no need for any crazy twists, when they break up and find each other again, it simply is enough for them to meet once, for one evening, and experience it truly beautifully, romantically, kindly, so that they can remember it for the rest of their lives, and then part ways. I am quite curious about what the sequels of this movie are like. Ethan and Julie are a great match for each other. (12/03/2013)

Hard to describe beauty, in which there is no place for cynics. Just a little bit of empathy with both characters is enough, and let the wonderful feeling resonate within. I can't say that I have experienced something exactly like this, maybe just something remotely resembling it. Nevertheless, it elevated my experience to the limits of perfection. The actors are only three - Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, and Vienna. And it is one of the most natural trios ever on the screen. Such a movie I have always wanted to see. (01/30/2006)

Two strangers meet randomly, spend a whole day and night together, and then comes the critical moment when they have to part ways. However, while Before Sunset takes place only during the day and in beautiful romantic Paris, Before Sunrise takes place at night (probably the most significant change). But whether it is a shimmering evening in Vienna or the sunny romantic Paris, the actors, the screenplay, and the camera work are top-notch. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy are fantastically well-matched. It’s true that this and the second film are purely conversational, but they are shot so passionately and with such a unique style that it’s impossible to dislike them. Moreover, they don't lack humor, intelligence, and natural charm. (02/23/2005)