A Sequel Worth Catching During The Oscar Race

Many times, as I go on my Oscar movie binges, I’ve thought there’s more madness than method in my frantic race to try and catch as many Academy Award-nominated flicks as I can. Why burnout on movies just to say, “I’ve seen that one too,” countless times during the Oscar telecast?

But whenever I question the sanity of my quest, I’m rewarded with the discovery of a new film I might not have otherwise watched. The latest example is Before Sunset, nominated for Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay), which is now available on DVD.

Directed by Richard Linklater, Before Sunset is a sequel to Before Sunrise, a film made nearly a decade ago that chronicled one night in Vienna spent by two strangers, Jesse (Ethan Hawke), an American, and Celine (Julie Delpy), a Frenchwoman, who find a magical connection over the course of their conversations. The first film ends with them making a promise to reconnect in six months. Now, nine years later, over the span of an afternoon in Paris, we find out what happened, who they’ve become, and we discover, perhaps most importantly, that they’ve still got a gift for gab.

It would be unfair to divulge too much about the characters and their journey because a large part of the joy of the film is discovering their paths through their exchanges, which range from flirty banter to soul-rending revelations. Both Hawke and Delpy are more than up to the task of recalling these characters whose youthful selves captivated us in the first film.

Although they both appear skinnier than they did almost ten years ago, it’s not a leanness that seems borne out of vanity, but rather gauntness brought about by mounting experience and world-wariness. These two actors seem to so effortlessly slip into the skins of these characters that one often feels as if you’re intruding on a private chat, not witnessing the skillful performances of two adept actors. In fact, after Entertainment Weekly tabbed their work as one of the great performances of 2004, Hawke admitted, “It’s clear that people think it’s me being myself... I try to take that as a compliment.”

Ultimately, I really knew little about these films going into them, other than their reputations as “Love ‘Em or Hate ‘Em” propositions. But after seeing them, I think it’s fair to say that if one knows they’re about to see a film rich with extensive dialogue and heartfelt performances, and not the typical syrupy, sentimental romantic comedy, then although I can’t guarantee you’ll like the film, I feel confident in saying that you’ll know you haven’t seen a cookie-cutter movie and will be able to appreciate its approach to storytelling and character development.

In terms of its outlook on love and romance, it has a surprising kinship to another sterling film from last year, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Both films have at their core an essential belief in the magic of romance and true love, but they also share an unflinching conviction in the difficulties, sorrows, strains and stresses that can also come with an attempt to love another person.

Before Sunset is rated R for language and sexual references. It will not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it should be appreciated for its literate, honest dialogue, its earnest performances, and its desire to ride off into the sunset, not with shades drawn, but with eyes wide open.