Travel-Themed Trilogy (Movie Review)
How did I go this long without knowing about the travel-themed “Before” trilogy?!
Since I’m not traveling much these days due to Covid-19, I’m getting my travel fix by binging movies that take me to far off lands. In my quest to seek out new travel-inspired flicks I stumbled upon the “Before” trilogy: Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight.
I’m a sucker for a good love store that spans the years and several iconic travel destinations!
All three movies star Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, as Jesse and Céline. In fact, these two are essentially the only two characters in the first and second films. As their love story unfolds, extra plotlines and actors aren’t really necessary. Their evolving romance takes center stage, and it’s set to the backdrop of several picturesque European cities.
The first film aired in 1995, with the next two installments each coming nine years after the previous one.
I’m actually glad I didn’t watch these movies when they first came out because I don’t think I could have waited nine years to find out what happened to this enchanting couple. With the advent of streaming services and the cliffhangers at the end of film one and two, I didn’t even want to wait for the closing credits before I started each sequel!
SPOILER ALERT: If you haven’t already watched Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight, you may want to hit pause on this article and start binging. I simply can’t do justice to this movie review without spoiling some key plot points. You’ve been warned!
Click each movie image below for access to these films through Amazon…and let the movie marathon begin.
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Before Sunrise (1995)
If you have ever fantasized about falling in love with a stranger while traipsing across Europe, then I urge you to live vicariously through Before Sunrise.
This romantic drama introduces you to the male lead, Jesse, an American, and the female French lead, Céline. While both are traveling from Budapest, they strike up a flirtatious conversation on the train, which neither one wants to end.
Jesse persuades Céline to postpone the next leg of her trip to Paris so they can spend his remaining evening in Europe together in beautiful Vienna.
They have just one night, and not enough money for a hotel room…ahhh, to be young and smitten!
So they wander Vienna all night deep in conversation about love and worldviews as their affection for one another seems to blossom before your eyes. Yet there is a sense of abandon between the two that comes from the belief that they will never see each other again after this night.
From my own slightly more mature perspective, I enjoyed getting lost in their flirtatious banter and lack of urgency to focus on the sightseeing opportunities at their fingertips in Vienna! They only seem to have eyes for one another. Still, as the viewer, I enjoyed the picturesque backdrop that serves as the setting for the initial stage of their love story.
The first cliffhanger of the trilogy occurs when Céline must board the train to Paris just before sunrise. They quickly devise a plan to meet back at the train station in exactly six months. That’s when the credits roll…and I was so glad I didn’t have to wait nine years to learn if that was the end or just the beginning of Jesse and Céline’s love story!
Before Sunset (2004)
The sequel, Before Sunset, takes us to Paris where we slowly learn how both Jesse and Celine’s lives have unfolded over the past decade.
Now a best-selling author, Jesse is on a book tour with a stop at Paris’ famous Shakespeare and Company bookstore. (If you travel to Paris you must put this iconic bookstore on your itinerary!)
Celine arrives at the book signing, and we quickly realize they haven’t seen each other in nine years. With only a short amount of time before Jesse must leave Paris, the two reconnect and begin revealing their personal journeys since they first met.
It is clear that an attraction still exists, but it is a bit more reserved in this installment. Jesse reveals that he has a son who he adores and a wife who he is less enamored with. As the evening wears on we learn that neither one forgot the other after their first whirlwind night. In fact, Jesse’s bestselling book is a fictional version of that fateful night. With open vulnerability, Jesse reveals that he did return to the train station six months after that night and was disappointed when Céline was not there.
While your heart breaks for Jesse, you soon learn that Céline had every intention of being at that train station had her grandmother not died just days before.
In reality, we can all scream at the screen and say “Why didn’t you exchange phone numbers or email addresses?!?” But then again, that wouldn’t make for as memorable of a love story.
Jesse and Céline now find themselves at another crossroads. Jesse must leave before sunset to continue his book tour and then return to the US…and his wife and son. Celine has established a life and a career she is passionate about in her beloved Paris. Yet their connection is palpable as they ponder aloud how things might have turned out very differently…and is that the happy ending they both dreamed of? And is it still possible?
I’m dismayed again as the screen goes black and the credits roll! Their lives are much more complicated than they were when they last departed. Will they continue on the life paths they previously chose or will they give their love affair a second chance, against all odds?
Before Midnight (2013)
Another nine years later their love story continues in Greece with Before Midnight. Unlike the first two movies, several additional supporting actors grace the screen in the final flick, but Jesse and Céline remain the central characters.
As a viewer, I initially felt like I missed a few steps in the story (nine years worth), but the current state of Jesse and Céline’s relationship gradually comes into focus. Jesse bids his teenage son farewell as he heads back to the US after spending the summer with his dad in Greece. Clearly Jesse’s marriage did not last, and we soon learn that he has spent the last nine years with Celine. And they now have two adorable blonde twin girls in tow.
My initial thought was excitement that these two had “made it” as I had been rooting for their love story from the first installment. But that slowly dissipated as the challenges of lasting relationships took center stage.
There was clearly still passion between the two leading characters but resentment had also taken root. Jesse was struggling with the decisions that left him far from his son, and Celine seemed to regret the career opportunities she felt she lost out on when becoming a mother.
The additional characters in this installment provide useful insight into the stages of romantic love. As the group shares a meal and insightful conversation in the beautiful Greek countryside, we get a glimpse of budding young love from one couple, reminding us of when we first met Jesse and Céline. More established couples share tales and challenges of lasting relationships and the sorrow of losing the love of your life.
After Jesse and Céline take in all this relationship wisdom, they set on a walk through Greece, heading to the hotel room gifted to them by another couple. Similar to the first two films, they skillfully walk thorough scenic streets and alleys carrying on deep conversations with intermittent stops to admire the history and beauty that surrounds them in Greece.
They only agreed to stay at the hotel out of obligation, and Céline in particular seems determined to use this opportunity to air her many grievances with Jesse and the current state of their relationship. The acting is superb and the emotions are raw.
I’ll admit that I preferred the first two movies as they felt fanciful and hopeful. But this movie felt real and disconcerting, which may actually make it the superior movie.
I still wanted this couple to “make it.” The obstacles had become more mundane, but in many ways, they faced even bigger challenges now as they navigated the reality of a long-term relationship. In the end, they were able to recall what ignited their passion long ago, but we are left to wonder if that was going to be enough for their relationship to last.
If we are lucky this movie series will continue, and in 2022 we will find out if Jesse and Céline’s love endured!
Wherever the road takes you, make it a joyous journey,
Traveling Tanya
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