Before Sunset (2004) — Riley Cross Reviews

Just two people, talking, and the sun setting on a perfect day.

I was right behind the counter when *Before Sunrise* came out on VHS in '95, and I’m gonna tell you: you likely didn't rent it back then. You wanted the explosions, or the thrill of Jason Patric saving a dripping wet Jennifer Jason Leigh. But *Before Sunset*? That’s a grown-up movie. It’s quiet. It’s specific. And it’s exactly what you need when you’re trying to avoid the nonsense drama of the real world this weekend.

It’s 2004 now. Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) haven’t seen each other in nine years. It plays out in real time—eighty minutes, from 4:00 PM to midnight. That’s how long it takes to walk around Paris and figure out if you accidentally ruined a life. They bump into each other at an independent book store in Paris, and the chemistry? It’s awkward at first, then sharp, then overwhelming.

You’ll remember the scene when he shows up to his book signing and keeps checking his watch, clearly stressed because he has a flight to Denver in forty-seven minutes. He pulls a cassette tape out of his pocket to show her that he actually listened to the mixtape she gave him all those years ago. It’s small, but it’s devastating. That’s the kind of movie this is—not big gestures, just tiny, scary truths spoken in the middle of a tourist trap.

For a "Night In," this is gold. It calls for full dark, a comfy couch, and maybe a glass of wine (or strong coffee, because they both need it). It appeals to that part of you that actually reads the back of a book jacket before buying it. It respects your intelligence. It doesn't try to invent some impossible plot twist to keep you awake.

Bottom line: The most intelligent, sweaty-palmed date night video you can tape off the TV.