Sunday, 17 May 2015

Movie Review: Before Sunrise (1995)

Before Sunrise is a romantic drama movie and the first part of the Before Trilogy directed by Richard Linklater. The story follows two young people in their early twenties, Jesse (Ethan Hawke), an American boy and Celine (Julie Delpy), a French girl who meet on a train to Vienna.  They get down and roam about the streets of Vienna talking about their lives, relationships, and over the course of movie, fall into love. Its conversational nature makes it different and I can think of very few movies (Twelve Angry Men, The Man from Earth) that I would put into the same category which are not based much on events but hinge just on the conversation between people. 

It connects because this young couple does not talk about anything extraordinary: their past relationships, parents, etc.; usual stuff two newly made friends would be discussing about. Nothing much happens in the movie. If I have to tell someone about the plot, I would say that a couple walks around Vienna and have an intriguing conversation. That's about it. 


It takes a genius to make an amazing movie out of a minimalist plot and some fantastic dialogues without the usual Hollywood clichés. The script, the characters and the backdrop feel totally realistic. It's rare to find a movie where everything gels together so perfectly. Vienna in the background acts as an icing on the cake. The story could have taken place anywhere but Vienna makes for some lovely visuals. 

The movie is not melodramatic or overtly sentimental, but is easily one of the best romantic movies that I've come across. Its simplicity will make you fall in love with Jesse and Céline warming your heart and soul.

Over the years, this movie has received high critical praise. It has a rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and features in the IMDb Top 250 list. 

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