"Before Sunrise" was one of the most beautiful independent love stories of the 90's. Part of its appeal came from the open ending. We didn't know how the lives of these two young people would continue and what would become of them. The whole movie was like a snapshot that left the rest to our imagination. A sequel to such a story seemed to be unnecessary, but apparently director Richard Linklater himself couldn't stop thinking about these two intriguing characters and had to envision their lives after this one fateful day in Vienna.

Here it is now, the most unlikely sequel I have ever seen, "Before Sunset" - made not for money but for pure artistic purpose only. Much of the magic of part one could have been destroyed, but somehow Linklater and his two main actors managed to pull it off. "Before Sunset" takes place nine years after Jesse and Celine first met and as soon as the movie starts you feel like you meet old friends you haven't seen in a long time. You know these people and immediately feel at home with them. I was afraid that "Before Sunset" might give answers to questions that shouldn't be answered in the first place. If "Before Sunrise" was a dream that two young people had, then this movie could only be the rude awakening, the confrontation with reality. And somehow it is just that. It's a bit disillusioning to hear that all did not turn out as well as one might have imagined. We learn that Jesse and Celine are not particularly happy in their lives and that they are not really the romantic persons they used to be nine years ago. The soothing thing to see, however, is that they are still here. They both have passed their 30th birthday, they have jobs and their future is more or less decided, but they're still longing for passion in their lives and as soon as they meet each other, it's there again. They might have given up a lot of their dreams and beliefs but one thing remains true: their feelings for each other. While they're talking it's like they turn back time and become the young, hopeful people they once were again. I'm getting a bit carried away, but that's the beauty of these two movies, "Sunrise" and "Sunset". The story sucks you in and you're not able to stop thinking about it for a long while.

Another thing "Before Sunset" did, it made me reflect on my own life. How have I changed in the past nine years? What has become of my dreams? Obviously, I have gotten more cynical, because at times I was irritated by Celine's talk about environmental problems and her emotional outbursts. It took me way longer than last time to "bond" with her character this time around.

Anyway, the performances by Hawke and Delpy are wonderful once again. Their acting is as natural as can be, and thinking of Hawke's recent divorce in real life you wonder how much of his character in the movie is based on his own personal experiences.

Unfortunately, the movie is over way too soon. After about an hour you have already arrived at the final scene - a scene that is just amazing. It makes you hope that somehow everything will work out for Jesse and Celine and that maybe they will stay together this time. As part one, "Before Sunset" doesn't have a definite ending, though.

It's sure nice to see that apparently Linklater cares about Jesse and Celine as much as I do and made such a good sequel. He could probably even make a third part. "Before Sunset" has convinced me that it could work.

In Paris, the American writer Jesse Howard (Ethan Hawk) is in the end of an European tour, promoting his novel about the one night stand he had with a young French woman nine years ago. In the end of the debates in a bookstore, he finds Celine (Julie Delpy) in the audience, who works in an environmental organization, and they leave the place to drink coffee and talk to each other before Jesse goes to the airport. Along the moments together, they realize that they are still in love for each other.

"Before Sunset" is a delightful sequel of "Before Sunrise", which is in my opinion one of the most beautiful romances I have ever seen. The screenplay was written by Ethan Hawk, Julie Delpy and Richard Linklater and it is fantastic, with wonderful dialogs. It is also amazing the natural performances of Ethan Hawk and Julie Delpy, who intensively live the characters of Jesse and Celine. It is impossible not liking this movie! The simple song sang by Julie Delpy is a great complement to this lovely fairy tale. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Antes do Pôr-do-Sol" ("Before Sunset")

I have seen the Before trilogy in the wrong order. Before Sunrise saw Jesse and Celine as two young travellers who meet on a train during a trip to Vienna and bond. They exchange little details about themselves and agree to meet up at the same place on a particular date.

Before Midnight released in 2013 is set almost 20 years after they have first met. They are now married, vacationing in Greece and have entered middle life and their relationships now show some cracks.

Before Sunset is therefore the filling of the sandwich. After 9 years, Jesse is travelling in Europe as part of a book tour. He again encounters Celine who has come looking for him in a Paris bookshop.

We find out that Jesse did turn up in Vienna but Celine could not has it was her grandmother's funeral. That event has somehow thrown both their fate in a different direction.

Older, wiser, with both having a career established. They still have much to look forward to but there is also now past regrets. Celine has had relationship failures and Jesse is married with a child but its not a happy marriage. Its clear that both carry a torch for each other and their initial encounter left deep marks.

The rest of the film is the couple walking in Paris or on a boat on the River Seine. We get to know a bit more about these characters as they fill the gap in between the years we last saw them.

Its clear that Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke have a nice chemistry and comfortable with each other. They look like long lost lovers and of course they co-wrote the screenplay. Just look at Jesse's face when he finds out that Celine had lived in New York and worse he was also there at the same time.

I do think that director Richard Linklater could had done more to show the beauty of Paris and to be honest the touristic element of Paris apart from Notre Dame. I have walked a similar route and taken a boat ride on the River Seine and the film could had done with the picture postcard scenes to break up the monotony of these two people walking and talking. Its kind of natural for Jesse who is after all a visitor to the city.

The conversation is interesting but not riveting. Its natural but does not flow again because the screenplay wants to unwrap its layers slowly and methodically.

Jesse is on a tight schedule as he has a plane to catch but its clear he does not want to leave her. We now know that there is more to their story and shall re-visit them again.