Are You With Us?:
Before Sunset
By Shalimar Sahota
April 22, 2010
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Jesse (Hawke) is in Paris at a bookstore promoting his novel, which is largely inspired by the time he spent with Celine (Delpy) nine years ago in Vienna. During a Q&A session, Jesse spots Celine in the store, who later informs him that she’s read his book. As they leave the store to catch up, Jesse is reminded that he has a plane to catch in a few hours. Just like before, they only have a limited amount of time together before they must part. So Jesse comes out with the usual line, “Do you wanna, maybe, get a cup of coffee?”
Before Sunrise didn’t really need a sequel. It could so easily have ruined what many love about the original. The idea for this follow up wasn’t for financial gain. Hawke said, "We obviously did it because we wanted to." The resulting film is just as good.
The first film left audiences hanging about whether or not the two lovers will ever meet again. This is cleverly discussed during Jesse’s opening Q&A as someone asks whether they get back together. We know now that they did not meet six months after their first encounter, and the film answers why. It also answers what was never fully confirmed the first time around; whether they did, or didn’t, during their night together.
We find that Jesse and Celine are doing okay, but as they’ve gotten older, feelings of hope and promise have become stagnant. Jesse is in a loveless marriage, and remains so because of the love for his son. Celine is in a relationship with a photographer who is always abroad. Together again, it’s clear that they’ve obviously got strong feelings for each other, making it one of those few instances where you’re rooting for the characters to cheat on their current partners, because it’s so uncomfortably right.
The movie is essentially all talk, with the chit-chat shifting towards the things we think about but never say out loud, for fear of upsetting someone, looking like a fool, or just not having the right person to even say these things to. It works largely because of Hawke and Delpy sharing a writing credit, believed to be incorporating some of their own personal issues. A lot has been said about the resemblance Hawke has with his character, since he was going through a divorce with his then wife Uma Thurman at the time the film was released. Deply also wrote songs for the film, one of which she performs in the film.
Their dialogue together feels less scripted and more spontaneous compared to Sunrise, even with small moments. Jesse says, “Not good?” when talking to Celine about a job she was doing; she responds with, “Yeah, no.” It’s also funnier, with Celine joking about herself sucking cock (!) and also remarking on how Jesse’s is, “about to fall off.” It’s a screenplay that got awards kudos, with an Oscar nomination, though they lost out to Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor for Sideways.
Despite conversational catch-up, with talk about romance and romantic ideals, it’s difficult to call Before Sunset a romantic film. There isn’t even any passionate tongue action shared between the two, likely holding back because they’re already in relationships. During the latter half it actually feels quite painful seeing Jesse and Celine discuss what their lives are like now, and that they have always been thinking of each other. It’s more sentimental regret, with Jesse in particular believing that their lives could have been so different had they hooked up again. Upon hearing this, Celine references a similar classic, saying, “Maybe we're only good at brief encounters.”
Arranging to have his driver give Celine a lift home, the sequence that plays out in the car is the strongest in the film. Celine reveals to Jesse how her love life has suffered, unable to feel the way she did since their time together. As she’s angry and in tears, Jesse reaches for her arm only for her to slap his hand away. Minutes later the roles are reversed as Jesse pours out the problems about his loveless marriage. Celine reaches her hand out, as if to comfort him, but then yanks her arm back before he turns to her. It is a "blink-and-you’ll-miss-it" moment that lasts no more than two seconds, rewarding the audience with more than Jesse knows, and says more about how Celine feels than any words can. It’s heartbreaking and magnificently sidesteps any expected clichés.
It shows how just a few hours have left long lasting memories for years, since they both remember their night together like it’s some perfect romantic movie, and yet here they deconstruct the romantic ideals that they created to devastating effect. It's kind of like breaking into the Louvre and using a flamethrower on the Mona Lisa, only to have the charred remains leave a new but equally emotional response.
The first film was a minor hit, making $5.5 million in the US, grossing $22.6 million worldwide. Before Sunset performed similarly, with a limited release that finished up in the US with $5.8 million. Unusually, its overseas takings of $10.1 million meant that it earned less, with $15.9 million overall, despite playing in more locations.
Before Sunset could dangerously have you contemplating your own "what if" questions about missed chances and commitment. Like before, the ambiguous (though cleverly fitting) close means that it’s left largely to your broken imagination as to where their relationship goes. Maybe there’ll be another one in a few years time. After Sundown, anyone?
Directed by – Richard Linklater
Written by – Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Kim Krizan
Starring – Ethan Hawke (Jesse Wallace), Julie Delpy (Celine), Diabolo (Philippe), Vermon Dobtcheff (Bookstore Manager)
Length – 77 minutes
Cert – 15 / R