BEFORE SUNSET (R) ***1/2

 

Directed by Richard Linklater. 80 minutes.

Starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. Released by Fox Searchlight Pictures.

 

Before Sunset is the second half of an interesting conversation, taking place nine years after it started. In 1995, director Richard Linklater made Before Sunrise, a romance in which two young idealist romantics, played by Ethan Hawke and French actress Julie Delpy walked the streets of Vienna for a day, talking, and spent a night together, promising that they would meet again in six months. That is how the film ended. This sequel, of sorts, picks up nine years later. For good reasons we find out in the film, the two obviously never met back up in Vienna and meet again by chance, somewhat.

 

Jesse (Ethan Hawke) is a published author, heading up the last part of his European book tour by speaking in a small bookstore in Paris. His book chronicles the details of the night that he spent with Selene (Julie Delpy), leaving the story unanswered as the film was for audiences who saw Before Sunrise. The book critics and reporters interviewing him want to know whether or not he thinks the two met again in Vienna, though we know the answer. Then, as Jesse describes the next book that he is working on, resulting in one of the few tiresome scenes in the movie, Selene pops up in the store and, after wrapping up his interview, he walks the streets of Paris, picking up where they left off with their nine-year old conversation.

 

It seems that Selene saw that Jesse was going to be appearing at the bookstore on a flyer and decided to show up. She has read his book and her interest was re-sparked to meet him again. They talk about their lives- first politely, not going into too much detail, then finally giving in and sharing the meat and bones stuff. Selene asks Jesse if he ever made it to Vienna. We know that she didn’t due to a death in the family. Turns out he did show, stayed a few days, and then moved on.

 

The film is similar to the original film and, in many ways, to My Dinner with Andre, Louis Malle’s fascinating 1981 film in which two men merely sit at a table and catch up on old times. Though some may find that boring, the film was alive due to the improvised and natural conversing of that film’s two stars and Roger Ebert awarded it his best film of the year. Before Sunset is similar to that film in that the audience is dropping in on an interesting conversation that is successfully pulled off, first because the two actors are so natural that it does not feel as if you are watching a scripted movie (you are) and second because you are unaware in which direction the film is going. The conversation really seems like a natural chit-chat between two old friends, rather than paid actors.

 

When we finally get to the end, we know that some sort of conclusion must be arrived at, but Linklater leaves us wanting more, leaving room for another film in, maybe, nine years. We are left in suspense at the end of this sequel as we were at the end of the first film. This is a risky film that could have gone wrong and only does once or twice- the first time is Jesse’s description of his upcoming book, the second a song sung by one of the characters that is maybe a bit too much. Otherwise, the film is refreshing. It forces the actors to really get inside of their characters and convince the audience that what they are watching is a genuine reunion between two interesting, but troubled people. I was convinced.