Before Sunset(2004)

Cast : Ethan hawke, Julie Delpy

Plot and Storyline: 

Before Sunset(2004) is an American Romantic film, the sequel to Before Sunrise(1995) was also directed by Richard Linklater, the film is set  9 years after  Jesse( Played by Ethan Hawke) and Celine( Played by Julie Delpy) separate in Vienna at the end of " Before Sunrise". Jesse is a published author and he writes a book about his days in Vienna with Celine and it becomes a best seller. He visits Paris on a book tour of Europe and unexpectedly meets Celine in one of the interviews at the Shakespeare book company. Both of them are shocked after seeing each other for 9 years and the conversation slowly builds up between them. Jesse has a plane to catch and he asks his producer some time before the flight. The rest of the film is just the dialogues between these two and what they learn about each other.

At the end of Before Sunrise (1995) Jesse and Celine make a deal that they would meet at Vienna in 6 Months time, Celinwas not able to come to the Vienna as her grandmother passes away and Jesse waits for her for sometime in Vienna and goes back home. Jesse and Celine primarily discuss about the book and how he writes it and how he felt after writing the book.

It is quite interesting to see the conversations gradually becoming more and more personal. First it starts with each of their job, Then Jesse Tells how he lives the life of a monk with his unhappy marriage, he finally tells that he lives only to be with his 10 year kid and there is no love in his life. While Celine lives with a wild life photographer who is rarely with her. Both of them are really hurting themselves in the inside which we see near the end of the film.

The director beatifully potrays how men and women react when they meet after a long time, that too after a being in a relationship. Jesse typically becomes a depressed person, He even looks a bit depressed. He tells about his visit to monasteries and churches and how he tries to walk away from desire, Celine on the other hand, talks like she has forgotten everything which had happened and moved on. She even tells Jesse that she had forgotten their romantic evening. Buy slowly she tells Jesse about her true feelings and she has not forgotten him, very indirectly but it is understood.

Though Both of them are secretly want to get back together , they don't reveal their thoughts until the very end. Time becomes a big barrier for them to speak out.  But after a visit to the Cafe and a boat ride Jesse and Celine take a cab to Celine's house where they just let out what they wanted to say to each other for 9 years, emotional scenes follow where both of them cry. After which Jesse goes to Celine's apartment , to spend his last minutes before the flight with her. He asks Celine to sing a song which she has composed "let me sing you a waltz" and he is surprised to hear that it was about the night they spent in Vienna. The film ends by Jesse missing his flight.

Verdict:

If you leave of the conversation which last about 2 hours and examine the first and last scene alone. It's completely unbelievable how Jesse and Celine change at the end. This film is a very good portrayal of how destiny can play with ones life and also the unpredictability of life.
The Three films by Richard Linklater can be considered as one of the unique films to come from Hollywood. Though it is just a conversation between Jesse and Celine through of the film, it is very intriguing and convincing at the same time. The way we see Celine and Jesse changes completely from the beginning and till the end of the film. I would consider this as of the best romantic films ever to come