The best movie of the year so far.
Before Sunset (2004)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:154
Fresh:145
Rotten:9
Average Rating:8.2/10
Consensus: Filled with engaging dialogue, Before Sunset is a witty, poignant romance, with natural chemistry between Hawke and Delpy.
Theatrical Release:23-07-2004
Synopsis: When Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) met on a Eurail train, the connection between them was immediate and profound. The 14-hour relationship that followed, as the pair explored the... When Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) met on a Eurail train, the connection between them was immediate and profound. The 14-hour relationship that followed, as the pair explored the spontaneous and unexpected in Vienna, ended on a train platform where they swore they'd meet again six months later. Nine years have passed since that morning. On the last stop of his book tour, at the tail end of a reading in a Paris book shop, Jesse finds Celine watching from the back of the room. She lives in Paris now, he in New York. He's flying out that evening and they utilize every moment, finding their human connection no less vital, inspiring or real than it was in nine years ago in Vienna. In a stimulating and revealing journey through Paris, in real time, these two individuals explore the inner workings of their hearts and minds and rediscover their rare yet powerful love for the unexpected, the unrehearsed, and each other. Warner Independent Pictures and Castle Rock Entertainment present a sequel to the acclaimed 1995 film Before Sunrise. Directed by Richard Linklater, the visionary behind such films as Dazed and Confused and Waking Life, BEFORE SUNSET tells the timeless romantic story of two questing hearts and minds whose powerful bond defies time and place. -- © Warner Independent [More]
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy
Director: Richard Linklater
Director: Richard Linklater
Screenwriter: Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke, Richard Linklater
Producer: Richard Linklater, Anne Walker-McBay
Studio: Warner Independent
Reviews for Before Sunset
This 80-minute reverie unfolds like a piece of emotional origami into a seductive, playful and engaging bit of conversational foreplay.
A jaw-droppingly beautiful and moving film, as defining a moment for its generation as its predecessor.
The chemistry between Jesse and Celine --- and Hawke and Delpy and, for that matter, Linklater --- is as immediate as it is appealing.
A verbose, invigorating gem. There hasn’t been a brighter, better, more spry and alive relationship picture in years.
Some laughs, some tears, a wonderful song and an absolutely perfect ending.
Allows you to watch two deeply engaged and engaging performers moving verbally through delicately negotiated layers of delight, apprehension, desire and surrender.
Says more about the mystery of love and attachment than any overblown Hollywood romance that comes to mind.
You don't need to have seen Before Sunrise to appreciate Before Sunset, but as a one-two cinematic punch on the subjects of love and aging these films have few equals.
Consists of a conversation, albeit a complex one that covers work, romantic love, sex, yearning, memory, commitment, compromise, coincidence, disappointment, passion, men, women, the passage of time and songwriting.
Hawke and Delpy are credited with writing some of the dialogue, presumably as improvisations. They manage to be both natural and intense, and their characters feel real, even if the situation does not.
A simply amazing film -- touching, sexy, smart, sad and, beyond all, passionate about the value of time and love.
Its perfection can be summed up in one line: 'I like that. It's more real.'
How often does a visual medium make such an elegant argument about the beauty of language, even as it asserts its right to tell a story and move us with its vision?
For my money, Sunset tops the first installment because it involves characters who have more life under their belts. Nothing like a few years to clarify a personality.
For all its modesty, lingers in the mind like an unresolved relationship or a life-altering, if random, moment.
Latest News for Before Sunset
August 28, 2007:
Julie Delpy talks about Two Days in Paris with RT
Is her directorial debut the least romantic movie set in the City of Love? We sit down with Julie Delpy to find out... More...
August 26, 2007:
RT-UK's What to Watch at the Edinburgh Film Festival
Rotten Tomatoes UK heads up north to take in the sights and sounds of the Edinburgh Film Festival. And as the celebration of cinema draws to a close we present what's hot and... More...
July 06, 2006:
Critical Consensus: "Dead Man's Chest" Is Overstuffed; "Scanner" Shines Darkly
This week at the movies, we've got pirates back for more box office bounty ("Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest") and a journey to the center of the mind... More...
July 21, 2005:
Critical Consensus: Critics Do the "Hustle," Escape "Island" and "Bears"
This week's wide releases share a theme of Escape. Escape from The Game, escape from the bottom of the Little League standings, escape from a futuristic Philip K. Dick-esque... More...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 86% 86% | A Christmas Tale |
| 60% 60% | Paper Heart |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Before Sunset at Rotten Tomatoes
- Before Sunset at IGN
- Before Sunset at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

