Before Sunset is a Gem of Filmmaking
Richard Linklater’s Before series is a gem of filmmaking. There are 3 movies now in the series: Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight. All 3 movies are basically 2 characters: Jesse and Celine, talking for 2 hours. And it’s incredibly compelling. You get all the nuances of an excellent conversation: small talk juxtaposed with somber stories peppered with little jokes topped off with emotional outpourings.
And the conversation is shared by 2 incredibly likable characters, both with a sincere desire to lead a more meaningful life, and both finding out that a big part of doing that is by being with each other. I want to say the script and the performances are excellent, but all of it feels so present and natural that praising it almost feels vulgar.
All 3 movies are excellent, my personal favorite is ‘before sunset’. After failing to meet up with each other after their promise in the first movie, they stumble upon each other again and catch up with one another. What’s most compelling is how the movie gradually reveals the true nature of each character’s life, where in the beginning it seems like both of them are leading comfortable, stable lives, and by the end they admit that they’ve both been dissatisfied, and have been thinking about each other throughout the years.
At the end, they’re both at Celine’s place, where Celine shares a song she wrote, then turns on a record by Nina Simone, playfully mimics how Nina Simone was on stage, as Jesse stares in amusement and love.Both of them are now at their most spontaneous and lack any self-consciousness, completely comfortable with each other. Really beautiful.
It’s all very convincing. How the small talk and philosophical musings slowly allows both of them to feel more comfortable sharing their deepest feelings, before finally confessing they’ve never forgotten one another. It’s seamless scriptwriting and filmmaking from one of the greatest living directors.