Ah, Valentine’s Day is nearly upon us… Love is in the air. (Along with general dread, but let’s try to keep it light…) You might be wondering just what movie to watch with that special someone this weekend. Well, look no further than the first two-thirds of the greatest indie romance trilogy: Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy.
For the unfamiliar, the first film, Before Sunrise follows the budding romance between Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) after a chance encounter on a train in Budapest, on the way to Vienna. This film and the subsequent sequels, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight follow the main characters (developed by Linklater and Kim Krizan, who is also a co-writer on two of the films.) as we see glimpses of their lives at different stages. The performances from Hawke and Delpy are incredible. The long, lingering shots create a complete world, and more importantly, develop the characters in a way today’s quick-cut films can’t hope to replicate.
As you get to know the characters, and fall in love with the film, you’ll probably start muttering something about how “they don’t make ’em like this anymore,” and you’re right.
For cinephiles, these movies are also a great opportunity to see if you and that special someone are right for one another: If you’re not on the same page about these films, you might as well end things now. (Worth noting this is not an advice column.)
Now, you may have noticed we’ve recommended watching only the first two-thirds of the trilogy for Valentine’s Day… While the last film, Before Midnight is fine cinematically speaking, and serves as a plausible continuation of how Jesse and Celine’s relationship could play out, it doesn’t necessarily leave you with the same warm feelings as the other two. Love can get messy, familiarity can breed contempt. But you don’t have to worry about all that right now: Just watch the first two and chill, as I’m told the kids say.
Oh, and in another argument for why we should still buy physical media, the Before trilogy is not available on any streaming platform, but you can buy a digital copy through Apple TV. Though if you can, pick up the Criterion Before Trilogy box set, even if it means waiting a week for these romantic masterpieces.