The What-Ifs Of Life

By Amanda Liang • UrbanWire
• email reporter • email story • printer friendly

9 years after the romatic and thought-provoking Before Sunrise, director Richard Linklater (School Of Rock) delivers an equally, if not more, enchanting sequel to the film about a beautiful chance encounter between 2 young strangers Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) on a train.

What began as a brief flirtation led to Jesse, then an American traveller, and Celine, a French student, spontaneously spending the remaining afternoon and then the night together, exploring Vienna while their enriching conversations quickly made them soulmates.

Then morning came and the 2 lovers had to return to the routine of their separate lives, with nothing more exchanged than a vow to meet at the same train platform 6 months later.

Now a writer, Jesse had written a bestseller about that special night in Vienna and is in Paris where he’s at the final stop of his book tour. In the bookstore, Jesse answers some awkward questions from the journalists– whether the book was autobiographical– and among faces of strangers, he looks up to see Celine smiling at him. Startled but delighted, he approaches her, now thinner and wearier but still beautiful. They go for a cup of coffee and do some catching up before Jesse’s evening flight back to New York City.

Just like 9 years ago, the pair walk and talk, and their conversation is still as captivating and humourous, although now in their early 30s, they’re more insightful as compared to their somewhat naïve and hopeful characters in Before Sunrise.

Typical of old friends who get together after a long time, Jesse and Celine start off by talking about their present lives, without getting into too much personal details yet. They both seem to lead fulfilling lives. Celine is an environmental activist, and their discourse starts from the current state of the world to a whole slew of random topics – Is it good to be without desire? Do men get offended more easily than women?

Cautiously, they approach the subject of the 2 of them and as their sharing gets increasingly open, they start to let down their guard, and we see through their tough, defensive exteriors.

Dealing with the what-ifs is difficult and beneath their defences, they both have frustrating personal lives. Jesse expresses his dissatisfaction with his marriage but will suffer anything just to be around his son. Celine is not much better off, despite being in a relationship with a photojournalist who is away most of the time.

Although now wiser, the pair are no less vulnerable. This unexpected and again, spontaneous second chance at their profound connection is just as bittersweet as the first.

The film happens in real time, and is a lazy filmmaker’s dream as it consists of no more than 1 long, continual scene. Despite the lack of any gripping action, watching Jesse and Celine couldn’t have been a more engaging experience. The dialogues are sincere and witty. The acting from Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy is convincing and natural, looking spontaneous and unrehearsed. Perhaps their role in writing the screenplay with Linklater contributed to the smooth delivery.

Besides her brilliant acting, Julie Delpy also gets the chance to demonstrate her other talents like songwriting, playing the guitar and singing. A few songs on the soundtrack were written and sung by her.

It’s anyone’s guess if there would be a 3rd instalment to Before Sunrise, but if it’s anything like this, the intervening years will be worth the wait.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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