How utterly strange that a movie with average acting can be so enthralling and loaded with truth and truthful moments. Something about Hawke and Delpy's acting remind me of Christopher Reeve at his best, not quite convincing but very much charming. Yet there is a kernel of verisimilitude about the nature of love in this movie that is so fresh in execution and so powerful in the end that it overwhelms any of this small movie's flaws. This is a film that rises about its humble exterior, becoming an instant classic on the subject of true love, shaming the collective triteness of mainstream Hollywood's offerings. Before Sunset caused me to think back on my own painful and repressed memories of love lost and won. I was deeply touched. Those that gave this movie a low score are probably the ones in life who can't see the heartrending beauty in life's less grandiose moments, and more likely have never experienced true love. But let me console you with this thought: You'll know it when you find it... or lose it.… Expand

The two main characters have just met in Paris for the first time in about nine years. Hawke as the semi-famous writer goes off to have coffee with Delpy as the luminous French woman he loved and misplaced. Before you know it, you?re feeling all their emotions in real time as they twist and turn through the Parisian back streets in a real-time take. If, in real life, you?ve ever met and loved the love of your life, you can?t help but feel an extra frisson. Watch for the wonderful scene near the end where Delpy sings her song to Hawke, a song that she actually wrote (or is that improvised?) herself. If Richard Linklater can make such a fine movie just with a two-hander and some intelligent dialogue, why can?t it be done more often? … Expand

I love a film where the words are the story and the characters are like people you'd meet on the street. Yet, like it's equally entrancing predeessor, the conversations are too many, and they blend into one another. Afterwords, they don't really have the grip you, or they, would like. Still, a beautiful film.

Perhaps the most overated film of all-time! A dull, pompous and egotistical dialogue between two hopeless bores. It reeks of self-importance, but it goes nowhere.

While the movie started very slow and almost bored me into stopping it, it did eventually pick up and held me interest to the end. Although the ending does make you wonder if I have to wait 9 more years to see what happens?

Must see for everyone in relationship.

Every single line is GREAT.

I adore this film. I watched both "before sunrise" and "before sunset" in a day, and i think the films have changed me in a way. You feel so much in such a small space of time, and it leaves you excited about falling in love. The dialogue is brilliant and it leaves you wishing that one day you will meet someone with whom you can talk like this to. My favorite scene is when Celine sings to Jesse, The waltz was brilliant, as was she, and i was so nervous in the last few moments of the film as i had no idea what would happen!! All hopeless romantics will agree that they end up together...that jesse stays in paris. I would reecommend this to anyone...its such a beautiful story that speaks to all those who have loved, and who have loved and lost.… Expand

Brilliant. Thank you to all involved.

This is a very effective film. The script is well written and well acted by the two leads. Having Paris as a background does not suck either. The characters and their emotions are more mature than one usually sees in movies. They are honest about their feelings and ultimately reveal the desperation in their lives caused by their failing to follow through on their previous commitment. There is also an intriguing seduction going on. I loved the abrupt ending too. This is a very unusual American movie. There are no car chases or shootings. There is no nudity. There is an hour or so of two people talking in one of the most romantic places on earth. Some people will characterize this as a "chick flick," which it may be on some level. But it is a beautiful and touching film.… Expand

Wow, jesse and celine's story resolves in a way that i could not have imagined. after all this time, i would have anticipated a straight forward love rekindled plot to simply cash in, or a tale about two people who have simply moved on and will now simply be friends. instead, we get a story that is 'achingly' romantic and devastatingly sad. behind all the laughter and smiles, it is a story of two people whose destinies and hearts have been stolen from them and who have been subsisting on chaff and the memories of a singular night which they may have idealized in the interim... and yet, not in any way that undermines the reality: that these two were made to be together. a heart breaking tale of lost love that yet holds out a hope that is left for the audience to take. spare, beautiful and real, the film succeeds entirely on the skills and charisma of this truly unique collaborative knit together under linklater. great movie. if you have someone special to go with, take them. if not, go anyway and be prepared to feel again. p.s. greatest last lines since 'say anything'....… Expand

I was so genuinely touched by this movie. The honesty and sincerety of the writing is unlike anything I've seen in a long time. What an amazing collaborative effort this was.

Terrific script--romantic, yet revealing. Julie Delpy is simply wonderful. Go see it!

It is the the kind of movie you think about days after. everyone seemed to miss the picture of celine and the grandma after she said she died. So why wasnt she there in Vienna.

I was completely hypnotised by these two utterly utterly believable characters. I love it!

It's wonderful, and also a great story narrated in a great way. So romantic that cannot be described.

It was beautifully written and very honest.

Very good movie. Even better if you have seen before sunrise. It's not really a date movie as much as an observational one, of which we all know how these characters feel.

I'm hoping for a same kind of intervention after watching this film! 9 years is a long time, but maybe love is worth the wait.

Although I strongly recommend seeing "Before Sunrise" before seeing this one, it can and does stand alone. If you like free-ranging, witty, observant and emotional conversation, you'll love this picture. If not, then not.

Beautiful. Sensual. Emotional. Perfect. It will blow you away.

People who didn't find it beautiful just probably haven felt love in that surreal way... the whole show, the dialogues and the unspoken feelings just blows you away... definately one of my best.

Bought this DVD as saw it reviewed and favourably compared with 'Trainspotting' Alas it is light years away from the very good aforementioned flick. Possibly the most dreary, uninteresting movie my girlfriend and I have watched. Paris outshines the human cast in this movie.

I love this movie because there's a girl like Celine in my life. I could not be with her because I will go abroad this fall. What a pity! I hate reality.

Unbelievably boring film. I found myself fast forwarding through most of the first 45 minutes, hoping the plot would thicken, but it never happened. It is clear that people who liked this movie are bored, lonely and desperately reaching for something that is missing in their own lives. It is sad that so many reviewers mislabel an atrocious waste of film such as this as 'Art' and 'Romantic'. I feel like I have been robbed of an evening of my time and $4 DVD rental fee.… Expand

The ending it's just perfect!

Strange hybrid of incandescent emotions and real life messiness; sublime yet grounded dialogue; and the most unabashedly romantic slice of life cinema since Brief Encounter.

Brilliant!! The best love story i have ever seen so far......good play by Ethan & Julie which create a powerful chemistry between them.

All the critics seem to be going on and on about the ending of this movie...and for the first time, I have to agree. The last 10 minutes of this film, not to give anything away, is the some of the most beautiful & poignant screenwriting and acting this year. The last line uttered by Jesse is brilliant and very fitting. Any fans of the first film (or especially fans of the biggest influence of the film, French director Eric Rohmer) will be hugely impressed by this supremely romantic and assured film, made by a master filmmaker in the making (Linklater has already proven himself to be a better filmmaker than overrated American directors like Tarantino & Fincher). I have seen close to 80 movies so far in 2004, and this is the best (with Eternal Sunshine... in close 2nd). All cinema lovers should see this, and if you don't like it, don't complain and go buy a ticket for "White Chicks". … Expand

I adored this movie. Can I look forward to a Trilogy?

Talk about groupthink, what's everybody been smoking on this one? An exceedingly boring, talking heads, ain't I grand piece of garbage.

If you love "Before Sunset", this might interest you. Leonard Cohen wrote a song called "Take This Waltz", and the opening lyric is "Now in Vienna, there's ten pretty women..." You will really understand the degree to which Celine regrets not meeting up with Jesse in Italy. "Take This Waltz" is incredibly romantic, and as she listened to the album "I'm Your Man", Cohen's majestic lyrics conjured images of dancing in Vienna and "Hungarian lanterns in the midst of some sweet afternoon," to trigger a regret that inspired release in songwriting. Celine realizes that Jesse was "The Man". There's more to "A Waltz for the Night" that meets the ears, but Delpy's song is pretty terrific in its own right. There's nothing pretentious about her heart. "Tape" was the Ethan Hawke Show. "Before Sunset" is the Julie Delpy Show. … Expand

No Hollywood tripe or drivel. This is as honest as it gets - very natural and believable. A veritable masterpiece - and this is from someone who loves has a disinclination for even the better "chick flicks" like Serindipity, Bridget Jones Dialry and Hope Floats and prefers the likes of Alien and Independence Day. I did like Lost In Translation though.

This is the very worst example of pseudo-intellectual trash that only a 'people' searching for a culture, history and a relevance could be so brazen as to inflict upon a continent (Europe) which has already seen it a hundred times before - and, guess what? They were all better. That said, it's superior to 'Sunrise'. At least I didn't walk out of this one! Maybe they got back together? Maybe they didn't? I stopped caring in the bookshop. In a word: 'shallow'.… Expand

Wonderful-This is even BETTER than Before Sunrise. This will be one of this year's best films. Just terrific.

I thought this was one of the all time best date films.

I loved watching this movie...It is a pure art.

Fantastic - can't wait for the next instalment.

You don't want it to end.

The most beutifully directed movie ever!! The dialogues... just take ur breath away..!!

One of the best films, I ever saw - or 100 times saw. I love the dialouges, the song, the poem in Vienna, the memories of their childhoods, every single word. And it wasn't only a one-night stand.

So well written and played!!

Like his "Before Sunrise," Linklater's egostistical, superifical, pseudo-intellectual "Before Sunset" is both boring and embarrassing. You feel the director straining so hard to convey himself (through his characters) to us as smart and profound. Linklater directs his characters as ham-handedly as a puppetmaster, having them mouth awkward, faux-deep, "meaningful" lines and--it appears in Hawke's case--doing an impersonation of Linklater (either that or Ethan Hawke is a worse actor than I thought). Linklater has created some good films. And the Before series is great in concept, but in reality his thoughts on life, love, living truly are neither original nor thought-provoking--and the audience is supposed to think they are. It's like hearing your precocious 15-year-old neice go on and on about her figuring out the meaning of life. One reviewer above suggests this would have been better as a book than a movie. I'm not 100% sure if that's true, but maybe the dialogue would flow better if not spoken aloud. As it was, I was squirming with embarrassment at the bad directing and puerile, pretentious philosophizing for most of the flick.… Expand

Two people in search of romantic closure. A little spotty on the moral compass implications that would arise after such a long separation, but genuine as far as it goes. All is revealed in a stroll through the Latin Quarter of Paris, with awesome sound work that crisply captures the dialogue as the action moves in long takes through live settings.

I loved this movie. It emulates me and too many of us who are lost. The characters are so real, beautiful. So honest.

I just saw both movies in a row yeasterday and thought they were awesome, in before sunset the acting and directing are trying to make a point about their connection, we all know what that connection is all about, it's beyond words or even physical expression, they don't share a kiss or say I love you in the whole movie...but their looks, the sexual tension (specially when they are going upstaris to her apartment are great) just loved it, thought it was as simple and as complex as it needed to be...their acwardness in the first minutes until everything pops back up to the surfece and passion and all sorts of feelings from then on.… Expand

Boring Boring. A couple walking down a Paris street have a long conversation.

A masterpiece! Linklater is a genius! Entertainment like this is rare because it is at once provocative, funny, and breathtaking. Those who don't appreciate it know little about what cinema really is. One of the finest stories ever told.

This movie is lovely. A friend and I stumbled upon Before Sunrise when we were maybe fifteen and we rented obsessively, never knowing anyone but us had ever even heard of the little film. When I saw they were doing a follow-up, I was intrigued. I hadn't seen the first film in almost a decade, so seeing the characters again, years later, just as they were seeing each other again after so much time had passed was surreal. I would suggest anyone just coming upon these films watch one immediately and then hold off a month or two- sit with it for awhile before viewing the follow-up. It'll put you in their shoes a bit, in the best possible way.… Expand

I find it truly alarming and dismaying that so many critics find this film to be lovely and romantic and intelligent. I found it to be offensive and self important. How can anyone take to heart the intellectual prattling of a man who is willing to walk out on his wife and 4 year old son for a fantasy relationship with a woman he has known for 9 hours.? Its disgusting, spineless and utterly selfish. Ethan Hwake's character needs to hurry home, help his wife with the dishes and take his son to tee ball. Delpy needs to stick with unmarried men and maybe volunteer caring for infants at a maternity ward or something. It seems to me that we should be cheering couples with children on rather than telling stories that romanticize abandoning one's family. Am I the only one who finds this profoundly disturbing?… Expand

Thise is a romantic movie that must be seen. Its about two peaple who met 9 years ago and can´t forget about each other . Then they meet again 9 years later, and have only a few hours to realize that. It´s a very romantic story that is a bit unrealistic, and it is very different from other romantic movies since its only diallogue. Peaple who need action aren´t going to enjoye thise one.… Expand

Simply the best film of Linklater, at least so far. So simple, so real, so sincere. You can only love it.

I loved this flic almost as much as the prequel Before Sunrise. Is it possible that the rating given to the pair of movies is simply a reflection of our own romanticism? By the way. I'm an old fogie.

A very captivating and interesting story. Celine's personality suites a woman's emotions and points of view. Hidding the emotions first, then bursting it all out when you're too overwhelmed by your emotions. You can't appreciate the story if you won't put your full attention to into it.

It is very clear from the wording of comments that rating is directly related to level of intellectualism and an experience of real sensational love.

A Very clever - Romantic movie i ever saw, this movie tells a lot about the connection, meaning of love without a single 'I Love u' word, but we feel a lot of emotion and love experience from the start till the end. Standing applause fo RIchard Linklater.

A chick flick with out the flick- this should have only become a book. sorry.

As I squirmed through the first 40 minutes of this updated, real-time, MyDinnerWithAndre, with the incessant chatter, opinion, small talk, catching up ... I wondered where it was going. The 2nd half shifts abruptly and gathers momentum as the characters realize that their time together is fleeting, and there are issues unresolved, building to a crescendo, then a perfect ending that tosses the "ending" back in the viewers lap to ponder and reflect on.… Expand

I enjoyed the movie while watching it, but what surprised me most is that I keep thinking about it long after. With such critical acclaim, why aren't people flocking to the theater to watch this movie? This movie really left an imprint on my heart and reminded me of the joys of romance.

My "7" shows that I think this is a movie worth seeing, but I fail to agree with the near-universal critical slobbering this film has received. I definitely agree this film is similar to "My Dinner With Andre", which I didn't care for very much (but I digress). I think the film starts out slow and boring, but builds momentum as the generic pleasantries finally progress to more meaningful feelings. One criticism though: The lyrics to Delpy's "Waltz" song at the end seemed just a bit too contrived for the movie. Wouldn't she just sing that song to him anyway rather than have him choose it off of the "generic" Waltz term?… Expand

The end. Apparently, for some not too bright people (and critics), the end is too vague and open-ended. Frustrating, it says in several of the reviews. Did you watch Before Sunrise? What would you have expected based on that movie? All I could say when the credits came up at the end was "right on". It was a perfect ending. As for David F.'s 0 rating - don't let it discourage you from seeing the movie. But don't go in expecting Spiderman. And, just so you know, I can't stand pretentious crap, even when some of my film geek friends call me an idiot for not liking something. If you liked the first movie, I think you'll like this one. If not, then probably not.… Expand

I saw this film over 3 months ago at the Auckland film festival. And yet here I am scrolling thru Metacritic reading reviews trying to recapture the magic of those 80 minutes! Everything about this movie, and especially its ending, haunts me. Perfection.

This whole movie, has two actors talking to each other for 80mins!!! now some people find this boring, like me.

It's sad when people don't like dialogue in their movies. This is one of the best movies of the last 10 years (as is Before Sunrise). I didn't want it to end. I could watch these two talk all night. If you like to see things blow up, don't go. and don't post a review of this movie. It's not for you. If your girlfriend had to drag you along, maybe she'll find a nicer, more intelligent, and thoughtful guy.… Expand

I loved the first film, and found the second one was unbelievably even better than the first. I was thrilled to find out that the two actors and the director co-wrote the film together. The real time aspect worked very well, making me feel physically what the characters were feeling as their inner longing is gradually revealed during their short time together. The way they put off that last moment of goodbye as long as possible is excruciating, but it feels good to be so hooked into a movie and feeling what the characters are feeling in real time. During the moments in her apt., where he looks at the pictures on her bulletin board, you feel how much they still have to discover about each other, how their conversation could go on and on... and you feel like they do, absolutely robbed of this opportunity. Still, my husband and I had no doubt that finally, they ended up together. I thought it was great that when she agreed to sing a song, she gave him three choices, including "the one about my cat" and "the waltz", and he knew to ask her to sing the one she hesitated about. That's where he would find ouf what she was still holding back. I was afraid that the movie would make me really sad, but it didn't. Halfway through the film, before you know whether they might end up together or not, Celine says something about never getting over someone she has loved, how each person has these specific details, the memories of which never leave her. That moment felt good, because I wanted to see both characters acknowledge that the connection between them had been real, no matter how their relationship turned out. It was interesting because I have known these characters for years, as long as they had supposedly known each other, and have grown and changed in my thoughts about romance, life, etc. during that time as the actors/characters/writers all had. Again the real time aspect enhanced my experience. I liked the more mature Jesse, who, as the gypsy woman said, in the first movie was "still learning!" Nobody is doing dialogue that sounds as real as this film. Much less contrived as, say, "Clerks," (which I enjoyed in spite of the fact that it was too fast and too smart to sound "real.") This film felt absolutely real to me every moment. Pretentious? I don't get that at all. I must be one of the pretentious people, since I've had a lot of conversations that sound like this. How can a movie be so smart, so real, so non-sentimental, and so - sweet, all at the same time. Sigh! What a fulfilling cinematic experience!… Expand

Boring oh so boring, no climax and seems to be the cheapest movie ever made.

I realize that Before Sunrise and Before Sunset are both critically acclaimed films. The thing is, I can

I really loved this movie. It affected me emotionally. It's amazing how much you get to know the characters in a short period of time. I think my favorite part of the movie was the fact that there seemed to be so much unsaid between the characters but you could sense there was more going on than meets the eye. I found myself truly loving Julie Delpy, or rather her character. I was almost sad to see the movie end and wanting to see the happy ending. I replayed the ending a few times looking for clues of what might really happen. I hope that a third installment is made. Part of me wanted to know what happened at the end but the other half of me thought it was best left to the audiences own device. I would highly recommend this movie. C'est l'amour n'est pas?… Expand

Worst movie I have ever seen. What is the point of this movie?

This was by far the worst movie I have ever seen. It was painfully boring.

classic. unique. real. I understand why your standard movie goer wouldn't get what they wanted out of this movie, and there's nothing wrong with that...but luckily I'm not that kind of person. If you're introspective and extrospective about the world, this movie will work for you.

The movie is really different and monotonous being no exception. It doesn't progress, I'd recommend this to old people!

This movie is absolutely amazing, I don't know what C.M. saw but I think it should get $4 worth of brain cells.

A profoundly satisfying follow up on the original (which you should definitely watch first). Although some of the conversation is just cute, at several points the characters expressed insights that I could relate to. I also think the decision to shoot the film in real-time in around 1.5 hours was very wise. It would have been impossible to capture the original magic of a full night, but this sequel has a different, more focused feel that fits where the characters are. And, I found the ending profoundly satisfying. It creeps up on you. Great!… Expand

This is one of the movie which peers the life of the individual effortlessly.You know while watching this movie I have bring back everything from my past.this is really breathtaking. Great done.

This movie is really unintelligent. If you like watching boring dialog between two ignoramouses, rent this movie.

Perfect, from beginning to end to beginning again. Consider that, romance aside, these two people are worlds apart in their innermost propensities as ideals (he to unconditional committment--she to unconditional freedom), it's doubtful an 'external' bond would have survived their individual journeys had they re-met as promised and tried to 'make it' work. Now, they can find balance with each other from their accomplished extremes -- with romance as an oasis of middle ground -- again for the time. But how they will return to their lives, or stay together (without forsaking who they 'are' in either case) is another story-- and the perfect ending for this one. It gives us an opportunity to ponder whether life is, at every moment complete and perfect beyond our vision or wisdom -- if we are 'unconditioned' enough to accept it --and then let it go.... P.S. Those who hated the movie because it did not end in sex don't stand a chance. (smile).… Expand

You will either love or hate this fil. It is different. IT is really a film adapted from a bok. A lot of talk just striaght out from a novel. I like it it. I saw the fist film and they used the same actors in this film. The author takes a subject and looks at "What if? about a summer romance between a man and a woman who meet years later. It will be intresting to see the third installment when they are older and look back.… Expand

I wish I had my 80 minutes back. Ethan Hawke is one of the worst actors of all time. He wonders why he didn't get Titanic or Saving Private Ryan? BECAUSE YOU ARE A TERRIBLE ACTOR!!! Seriously, this movie is so long-winded and boring that I would have been more interested in playing with a calcified poo. This movie is as bad as it gets and people who say it is good are either really old or without any real love in their lives. … Expand

I was so glad I saw this before I saw Before Sunrise. It is a much better movie. It probably didn't even need the original. People who don't like this movie are too lazy to work for it's rewards.

I rented this based solely upon the rating on this site. Truly, it was a unique story, though a bit slow off the mark. It came around enough for us to recommend, yes. The gal is compelling, the dialogue quite believable. The story involving a "real-time" visit was very intriguing. The ending certainly left us to wonder.

I fell asleep after 15 minutes and woke up 30 minutes later, only to see both of them STILL walking around Paris, engaged in endless and meaningless babble. There is absolutely no tension between both characters, and if there were, it would be annihilated by the incredible amount of senseless words that come out of their mouths. The whole movie reminded me of two girls, or two housewifes, talking to each other. You see it every day. They talk for hours, and every man wonders: how can a person talk so much ? In addition, and that is what I was thinking during the entire movie, every man simply wants to scream: SHUT UP !!!… Expand

Astonishing. Not just incredibly well-written and wonderfully engaging - you never feel like it's film because there is always a great sense of reality to it.
Amazing.

How often can you study love on the big screen? My ex lent this to me as an example of what love "should be like". I guess I can only agree that it portrays romantic love as realistically as one could ask of a movie. The ending is great since it makes you reflect on your own hopes and expectations.

I am amazed that people have the same response to this film as they do to Before Sunrise. My experience was the polar opposite of the one I had with the first film in this series. The dialogue in Before Sunrise was fresh, romantic, and funny. The characters were endearing, I cared what happened to them and I wanted them to be together. In Before Sunset the characters have become jaded. They have white people problems. Life just is not turning out how they had hoped. They have good jobs, and people who love them but it is not enough. They want the romance back in their life, for things to be new again. Where in the first film it felt like they respected each others opinion, they were free to disagree without judgement. Here it feels as though they are preaching at each other. I'm right because my experiences dictate that I'm right. Your opinions are less valuable then mine because you don't have the same worldly experiences as me. These are certainly not unusually drawn characters for 30 somethings with similar cultural backgrounds, and are probably accurate more times than not. However spending an hour and a half with no one but these two people was not the pleasure it was the first time around, and at times was insufferable.

My respect for Hawke's character lessens even further in the third act when he begins to talk about his marriage. This is not a spoiler as we are to notice his ring right away and frequently throughout the first half. It is obvious he values little of the institution he has entered into, and instead has taken the typical modern approach to his vows. Perhaps and likely all of my issues with the film are Linklater's point. Perhaps these are typical views for people their age. my problem is I spent the first film with unique people. Characters who were looking at the world differently, with compassion and understanding. I couldn't wait to spend time with those people again. Those people are gone.… Expand