Can the greatest romance of your life last only one night?
An unexpected meeting on a train leads two travelers to spend an evening wandering through Vienna. As the night unfolds, they share stories and conversations about life and love, exploring new ideas while a quiet intimacy grows between them, knowing it may be their only night together.
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Character
Intimate, contemplative, character-led and contemporary.
- intimateepic
- contemplativerelentless
- character-ledplot-driven
- contemporarynostalgic
- warmbleak
Who loves it, who doesn't
41 profiled raters. Loved most by The Prestige Hunters; disliked most by The Thrill Chasers.
Where do you stand?
Answer first; then see how everyone, and your circle, split.
“Is this Richard Linklater's best work?”
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20 Buds have answered. Yours unlocks the split.
“Would Before Sunrise hit harder if it came out today rather than in 1995?”
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17 Buds have answered. Yours unlocks the split.
“Is it the best drama film of its decade?”
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22 Buds have answered. Yours unlocks the split.
Ask the title
A yes-or-no question, answered from what people wrote here, on TMDB and on Wikipedia. Never made up.
Reviews
We read them all: the case for is june_bug's, the case against is devontae's. Marked below.
- june_bugThe case forThe Comfort Seeker★★★★★
Two people talk and it is the most romantic film ever made because nothing happens except the thing that matters. The listening booth. That is all.
- devontaeThe case againstThe Thrill Chaser★★
Two people walk and talk for ninety minutes. It is well made and I felt nothing. I know that is my problem. Still my rating.
Reviews on TMDB
Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Tastebuds's numbers.
- CinemaSerfon TMDB · Jul 20267/10
After about five minutes of this, I was resigned to watching a reimagining of "Brief Encounter" (1945) and started to give up. Then, it began to take an altogether different tack as we meet a young and fairly penniless American "Jesse" (Ethan Hawke) who starts chatting with "Celine" (Julie Delpy) on a train journey and there is a visually striking chemistry on display pretty much from the start as their conversation quite quickly progresses from the idle chit chat to more substantial matters of life, love and the pursuit of happiness. He has a flight from Vienna next morning and without the cash for an hotel suggests that she and he spend the night together. Not in bed, but exploring this beautiful city and each other's minds. It's the frankness of their chat that proves really engaging here and the way this double-header sees them effortlessly bounce off each other works really naturally. Perhaps because these two characters are strangers and therefore have nothing to lose, their chat cuts through the strata of politeness and delicacies and soon has them conversing as if they have known each other for all of their lives, and it's meandering style resonates surprisingly effectively
Read the whole review on TMDB - Filipe Manuel Netoon TMDB · Oct 20237/10
**A very simple but very human film, with very good feelings and dialogue.** Contrary to what I like to do, I saw this film after seeing its sequel, “Before Sundown”. It's a very nice story about an American tourist who is enchanted by a French student he meets on the train on the way to Vienna, and invites her to spend some time with him. The rest of the film is an intense dialogue between the two through the streets of the city, as emotions and feelings develop. The best thing this film has to offer is the surprising and intensely credible interpretation of the main actors. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy are both young, elegant and seem to make a nice couple (of course, the characters, not the actors). I don't know if I'm the only person to think this way, but it seems like the actors felt what the characters were feeling, to the extent that there was sympathy or mutual understanding between the two professionals, and a chemistry that permeated entirely to us. . Directed and written with great skill by Richard Linklater, the film can summarize the first meetings of many young couples out there, and I have no doubt that there are many people who will easily identify with the two char
Read the whole review on TMDB - edwardon TMDB · Feb 2017
Box office $ 5.5 million This was the first time I saw a movie that had nothing close to a human antagonist, yet it kept me glued to the screen. Sure I've read a few novels of the kind but surely they weren't "oh I'm glued" stuff. Everybody at least once in their life dreams of something like this and this movie makes it believable. After watching the movie I really thought that Ethan & Julie must have dated 'cause their conversations were just flowing. Definitely a must see.
Read the whole review on TMDB
Cast
- Ethan HawkeJesse
- Julie DelpyCéline
- Andrea EckertWife on Train
- Hanno PöschlHusband on Train
- Karl BruckschwaigerGuy on Bridge
- Tex RubinowitzGuy on Bridge
- Erni MangoldPalm Reader
- Dominik CastellStreet Poet
- Haymon Maria ButtingerBartender
- Harold WaigleinGuitarist in Club
Crew
- Richard LinklaterDirector
- Kim KrizanWriter
- Richard LinklaterWriter
- Lee DanielDirector of Photography
- Fred FrithOriginal Music Composer
- Sandra AdairEditor
- Sheri GallowayEditor
- Anne Walker-McBayProducer
Where to watch
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Pairings
Companions we picked from the closest works, and how to take them.
Similar in taste
Closest on the same fourteen dimensions, from everything scored on Tastebuds Other media included when they land close.
Paterson 201679% alikeBoth contemplative, character-led, intimate.
Lost in Translation 200369% alikeBoth contemplative, character-led, contemporary.
Both intimate, contemplative, character-led.
sex, lies, and videotape 198966% alikeBoth contemplative, intimate, character-led; this one is more bleak.
Gloria Bell 201965% alikeBoth contemplative, character-led, contemporary.
Before Sunset 200464% alikeBoth intimate, contemplative, character-led; this one is more nostalgic.
Like Sunday, Like Rain 201464% alikeBoth contemporary, intimate, contemplative.
Conversations with Other Women 200662% alikeBoth intimate, character-led, contemplative.
Game · Both contemplative, character-led, contemporary.
Game · Both contemplative, character-led, prestige.
Often watched with
Recommendations from TMDB. Opening one adds it to Tastebuds
