Before Sunset

I just finished watching Before Sunset. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy were exquisite and are to be commended for their writing and performances. No other movie I've seen has consisted of one long conversation, of only two performers. Though Before Sunrise's plot attributes foreshadowed a similar plotline for a sequel, the sequel's bowing to the original could have come across as obligatory and boring. It was not the case at all.
I adored Before Sunset, just as I had Before Sunrise. Like a fine wine, Before Sunrise was to be savored. Pondered. Its conversations were intellectual, complex, goofy, and philosophical. The ending was left up to your imagination.
Well, now that the sequel has come along, I truly don't think it can be fully appreciated by anyone who did not see the first movie a long time ago. Who never thought there would be a sequel. Who never were left to fill in their own blanks. I know how I ended the first movie in my mind, but I respect the fact that Before Sunset shows that reality won out. As reality has slapped this hopeless romantic in the face several times. As it will probably do so again. But Before Sunset left me with a smile on my face. A smile that lingers.