final verdict for: "Before Sunset" (2004): What usually happens with sequels is that they ruin the original. Everyone knows this. "Jaws" was great, but "Jaws II"? Meh. But "Before Sunset" is one of the very few examples where a relatively week original is heightened to brilliance by its sequel.
Nine Years after their night in Vienna, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpie meet again in Paris, where Hawke runs promotion for his book in which he describes that one magical night. They decide to spend the afternoon together before he has to catch his flight back home to New York, to his wife and son.
The cinematography is just about as brilliant as in the original, even a tad better, as the cut and camera-work pick up elements from the original and incorporate and vary it here. The end-cut through the sets of the night from the first one is the stage opener in the sequel, just with Paris being the stage. The flashbacks we see are so nicely incorporated that it almost feels as if the first movie was not what actually happened, but what he describes in his novel. An idea that I like very much as it would explain what I identified as flaws to be plot elements of novel-storytelling (but I guess that's my wishful thinking).
The music is mostly good, but has brilliant moments, like the songs written and sung by Julie Delpie that directly relate to the story of the film and actually even seem to be part of the film. It's like being a ghost that follows them, it knows her songs and knows where to put them in the right spot, even though Hawke doesn't know about them yet.
The story itself really surprised me, because Linklater was able to accomplish here, what he failed in doing in the original movie and he does it so brilliantly that it makes you think, it was done on purpose and part of the story in the original. Hawke and Delpie have grown up and out of the stereotypes they were. This leads to the viewer realising, what was so stereotypical about the two in the original might not have been bad writing, but simply the flaw of being young. Their characters could not have been fully developed and they still had dreams and ideals that they deem stupid now. It all falls into place perfectly.
Oh and the ending, I won't give anything away, but say this much: It's relatively open, but perfect!
I will give this movie a 9 out of 10, because it was a real surprise and it was really well written a prime example of how a production can do a great movie.
I also will give a rating to the two movies in combination now, which is a first and will probably stay a rare exception. I will not withdraw my rating for the first one, because if you watch it independently, which you had to for 9 years until the make-up came out, it really does not make sense. However if you watch both movies right after each other, you will get a really great experience that will stay with you for a long time, as you will be able to communicate with what the characters are going through.
My final verdict for "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset" combined is: 8 out of 10.
Very special procedure for a very special two-parter.
Nine Years after their night in Vienna, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpie meet again in Paris, where Hawke runs promotion for his book in which he describes that one magical night. They decide to spend the afternoon together before he has to catch his flight back home to New York, to his wife and son.
The cinematography is just about as brilliant as in the original, even a tad better, as the cut and camera-work pick up elements from the original and incorporate and vary it here. The end-cut through the sets of the night from the first one is the stage opener in the sequel, just with Paris being the stage. The flashbacks we see are so nicely incorporated that it almost feels as if the first movie was not what actually happened, but what he describes in his novel. An idea that I like very much as it would explain what I identified as flaws to be plot elements of novel-storytelling (but I guess that's my wishful thinking).
The music is mostly good, but has brilliant moments, like the songs written and sung by Julie Delpie that directly relate to the story of the film and actually even seem to be part of the film. It's like being a ghost that follows them, it knows her songs and knows where to put them in the right spot, even though Hawke doesn't know about them yet.
The story itself really surprised me, because Linklater was able to accomplish here, what he failed in doing in the original movie and he does it so brilliantly that it makes you think, it was done on purpose and part of the story in the original. Hawke and Delpie have grown up and out of the stereotypes they were. This leads to the viewer realising, what was so stereotypical about the two in the original might not have been bad writing, but simply the flaw of being young. Their characters could not have been fully developed and they still had dreams and ideals that they deem stupid now. It all falls into place perfectly.
Oh and the ending, I won't give anything away, but say this much: It's relatively open, but perfect!
I will give this movie a 9 out of 10, because it was a real surprise and it was really well written a prime example of how a production can do a great movie.
I also will give a rating to the two movies in combination now, which is a first and will probably stay a rare exception. I will not withdraw my rating for the first one, because if you watch it independently, which you had to for 9 years until the make-up came out, it really does not make sense. However if you watch both movies right after each other, you will get a really great experience that will stay with you for a long time, as you will be able to communicate with what the characters are going through.
My final verdict for "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset" combined is: 8 out of 10.
Very special procedure for a very special two-parter.
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