A filmophile friend of mine kept encouraging me to rent "Before Sunrise." So finally, with my reading and work caught up (and a Netflix trial), I finally rented it, only to fall in love with a romance that was utterly charming, unassuming, organic, and totally real; I was swept into the tiny alleys of Vienna along with the film's protagonists. At first, the plot seems pedestrian enough: aloof French beauty and moody American tourist stuck on train meet, hit it off, and spend the night together. But the depth of the dialogue (the basis of the whole film), the very natural acting, and the onscreen chemistry of two soulmates, along with the beautiful cinematography of Europe, made this a gem.

Jesse (Ethan Hawke) is running away from a failed relationship, due to board a plane to the U.S. the next morning. Céline, a headstrong Parisian, is a writer and passionate feminist on her way home from visiting her grandmother in Budapest. The two are thrown together after escaping an ugly confrontation by a married German-speaking couple, and Céline is quickly drawn in by Jesse's stories and quirky sense of humor. He convinces her to get off the train at Vienna and spend the day with him, since he doesn't have money for a hotel. The two let the city lead them where it will, and Wien (Vienna) shows her charms in unexpected ways: graceful palaces, amusement parks, local dives, palm readers, vagabond poets, monasteries, cemeteries, churches and sidewalk cafes.

The pacing is leisurely to say the least. Céline and Jesse candidly engage on conversations covering every topic imaginable, from what love means to each of them (a touchy subject), cultural stereotypes, reincarnation, death, pretend phone conversations on what attracted them to each other, and bashful first kisses. Their growing attraction is shown in tender moments: the two staring at each other and looking away while listening to a record in a booth, Jesse's hand reaching out to brush Céline's curls, but quickly drawing away, a kiss shared in a Ferris wheel at sunset.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie