Before Sunset

The 25 Best Movies of the Century: No. 18, ‘Before Sunset’

Sean and Amanda return to continue their yearlong project of listing the 25 best movies of the 21st century so far. Today, they discuss Before Sunset, the second installment of Richard Linklater’s beloved romantic trilogy starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. They talk about why this film is their favorite of the trilogy and the official selection from Linklater’s career and discuss what its legacy is at large and how its performances helped shape the most romantic, emotionally incisive film of the century.

Saturday night, Sharon and I watched Before Sunset. The movie is on the Big Picture Podcast's list of the Top 25 Movies of the 21st Century. It is also on The New York Times list of the 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century.

Before Sunset is a 2004 romantic drama film directed by Richard Linklater. He co-wrote the screenplay with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. The film is a sequel to Before Sunrise (1995) and the second installment in the Before trilogy.

Nine years after their first encounter in Vienna, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) reunite in Paris. As they wander through the city's streets and cafes, they engage in a deeply personal conversation, discovering that their brief night together nearly a decade ago left a profound, lasting impact on both their lives.

About twenty minutes into the movie, Sharon said "this is boring." She warmed considerably to the movie by the time it was over. I enjoyed it enough that I would like to see the first film in the trilogy, Before Sunrise. Sharon and I were also interested in the movie because we are talking about going to Paris this fall to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary.