Kiss the day goodbye

Review by Vives Anunciacion

Before Sunset
Directed by Richard Linklater
Written by Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke, Kim Krizan
Starring Julie Delpy, Etan Hawke
PG 13 / 80 minutes
Warner Independent Pictures/ Castle Rock Entertainment
Opens Oct. 27

“Love is never gone.
As we travel on,
Love's what we'll remember.”
- What I did for love, A Chorus Line

I love long walks. And long conversations that go with them. Except that you can’t do them so easily in the Metro, especially after dark. What do you do for romance in this city?

It was in 1995 when director Richard Linklater brought Celine (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke) together in the streets of Vienna for an unforgettable romantic night that ended abruptly Before Sunrise. Nine years later, Celine and Jesse meet again in Paris, and they spend a few moments Before Sunset figuring out if any magic remains between them.

Director Linklater, Delpy and Hawke developed this movie over time as a sequel to the successful 1995romance Before Sunrise. The idea was to bring the characters back together and let them see how things would have gone had they not separated at the train station in Vienna nine years before. Despite the sequel tag, Sunset can stand remarkably on its own.

Jesse is in Paris promoting his book when he chances upon Celine in a bookstore. Before his scheduled flight back to the US, Jesse and Celine take a stroll in the city of lights, using the little time that they have to catch up on things. The little time that they have is the entire movie. Before Sunset is one long magical heart-to-heart between Jesse and Celine, which happens in real time.

What a beautiful conversation it is. Celine and Jesse engage in warm (or should I say soulful? divine?) exchange the way long-lost close friends would normally catch up. The dialogue is full of life, of wit and passion, they way people truly engrossed in the moment would honestly and freely share themselves. It is short of amazing how spontaneous the conversation shifts from relationships to politics to society to lust, as if it wasn’t rehearsed or scripted, or how it sometimes would sound too real and “autobiographical” as Jesse put it in the beginning.

Linklater dispenses with the trappings of usual Hollywood romances, and presents minimalist setups designed to focus the viewers on the characters’ chitchat. Julie Delpy is simply mesmerizing, and as she sings towards the end, she takes your breath away. Ethan Hawke is an equally gifted actor.

If only one can record meaningful conversations all the time. Or if there’s a way to rewind and play back certain images in the brain – the things that make you feel alive or make you smile out of nothing. And then, just like everything else, they dissolve into molecules, as quickly as they emerged. Hold the thought while it lasts.