Before Sunrise

Before Sunrise: Rated R
Director: Richard Linklater
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy

Before Sunrise is a brilliant film. It moves in realtime and explores the romance of Paris by an American and a French student. Linklater won two awards in the International category at the Berlin Film Festival for this one. The "sequel", "Before Sunset" won 11 awards, mostly on the back of Before Sunrise. Hawke and Delpy are magical, even as they are immature and awkward towards each other (made more funny in the second movie when they argue over their encounter in "Sunrise"). I think that I desire Before Sunrise when I watch romantic comedies, and I also fear it. Before Sunrise is dark enough that we don't feel transported into their world. I was nervous for them, I want their future plans to work out (have to see the second movie to find out), and yet the transience of their interaction is palpable from the beginning. What makes that work is that the characters are constantly aware of it, and work against it to varying degrees the entire movie.

4.5/5 stars. I don't know why I don't want to give it 5 stars. Seems like some movie should get 5 (maybe High Fidelity itself)! It is well written, well-acted, funny without distracting from the story, and funny in real ways. If I remember correctly even the sex is imperfect, in a perfect way.