Francesca Vaccaro

Acting 1 Non- Major

Professor Burke

Friday December 3, 2015

      Before Sunset

True love; a notion of seeing a reflection of yourself in the soul of another. Many of us

strive to find this one day, and in result, watch every single Romantic Comedy pumped out into

the theaters. When approaching Before Sunset, I was hoping that it would pick up exactly where

Before Sunrise left off, showing the loving couple reconnect in Vienna. Instead, the story began

with Jesse discussing his new novel, This Time, a story inspired by that fateful night, and a

world-wide bestseller. He does a successful book tour in Europe, including Paris, and makes an

appearance at the noted bookstore, Shakespeare and Company. Flashbacks express elements of

his time with Céline in Vienna. Three journalists attend the reading to interview Jesse: one is

convinced the book's main characters meet again, another that they do not, and a third who wants

them to but is doubtful that will occur. As Jesse speaks with the audience, his eyes wander and

he sees Céline there, smiling at him.

After the presentation, the bookstore manager reminds Jesse of his need to leave for the

airport in about an hour for his plane. Céline and Jesse's time together is again constrained, once

again making the best of it, and their conversations become deeply personal. They begin with

themes of work and politics and, with increasing passion, approach their earlier feelings for each

other.
They touch on their failure to have met as planned six months after their first encounter. Jesse

returned to Vienna but Céline did not, because her grandmother had died suddenly. Since the

pair had never exchanged addresses, they had no way to contact each other at the time.

Their talk reveals their life changes. Jesse, now a writer, is married and has a son. Céline has

become an advocate for the environment, and has a photojournalist boyfriend. They each express

some dissatisfaction with their lives, and the actors make this so realistic with the looks of

longing and making the conversation so natural.

Their former feelings are slowly rekindled, as their one night together looms large in

memory forcing Jesse to admit that his book was inspired by his hope of seeing Céline again.

She says that it brought back painful memories. This is such a realistic moment showing the

vulnerability and sincere pain felt with the absence of one another for so many years.

In the concluding scene, Céline and Jesse arrive at her apartment. Jesse persuades her to

play a waltz on her guitar. Her song is about their earlier brief encounter. Jesse puts a Nina

Simone CD on the stereo system. Céline dances to the song, "Just in Time," as Jesse watches her.

Céline imitates Simone, saying, "Baby ... you are gonna miss that plane." Jesse smiles and says,

"I know." It was this moment where my heart sang. The couple I’ve been rooting for has finally

followed their hearts.