KnotMissPriceless
Why so much hype?
Gutsycurene
Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.
Adeel Hail
Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.
Zlatica
One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.
speedo58
At first I was uncomfortable with the infidelity theme. However, there are subtle clues that will enable you to put aside your Puritanical judgment and see that there are contributing circumstances and there really is a love growing between Mo and Xavier. Mo is genuine, impulsive, self-sufficient horticulturist who was divorced by her husband because he didn't love her anymore. When she becomes stranded in Paris after her plane leaves without her she thinks of Chantal, a friend from her college days who has an apartment in Paris.Xavier is a international banker caught in a loveless marriage of convenience to a reserved housewife because it was decided that it was beneficial to both of them to be in and stay in the marriage (presumably by their parents). Xavier has stayed behind in Paris while his wife and children (a boy and a girl) go on vacation until September. It turns out that Chantal has also gone on vacation until September, as Mo learns from Xavier when she mistakes his apartment for Chantal's and him for Chantal's husband. When he turns and she sees him full face for the first time, he is so gorgeous that it makes Mo catch her breath. She tells him on the spot that he has the most beautiful eyes she has ever seen. He mistakes this as a come on instead of American forthrightness. Mo leaves in a pouring rain to look for a hotel, with only the clothes on her back, since her luggage was flown on to her ultimate destination. He catches up with her with an umbrella and shows her the location of a hotel. They attempt to go out to dinner but the restaurant is closed until September. He says he will cook dinner for her and attempts to act upon her perceived come on. Mo is infuriated and accepts invitations extended by a fellow American, a musician. Xavier follows her, and she spots him watching her from a distance. We also learn that Xavier's bank is in trouble and there is a meeting of the bankers to try to gain a loan from a Saudi entity, but there is to be a week's delay in the decision, so Xavier invites one of his banker friends to dinner. His friend laughs laughs and asks why Xavier doesn't use that opportunity to spendwith Xavier's mistress, Natalie. Xavier says under his breath that Natalie left him. He accepts the friend's invitation to join his family at their château.Xavier then asks Mo if she would like to accompany him to the banker friends château and she agrees. The banker's wife makes clear that they don't like Xavier's wife. Xavier and his friends are impressed when Mo demonstrates humanity by dancing with a midget with whom none of the other women would dance and resourcefulness when the friend's daughter is injured. Mo and Xavier realize that they are in love, but Xavier is reluctant to upset his marriage. Mo books a flight back to America. Xavier, meantime, has phoned his wife to summon her back home; she asks him if the bank is as bad as ever. When she arrives at the apartment, he confesses his feelings for Mo to her, and they are shown clasping hands and his eyes scanning all around the apartment as if memorizing it. Xavier goes to the airport, asking for a ticket to New York. Mo is heading to the satellite area of the airport to board her flight for New York. She hears him call out for her to wait for him and turns and runs down the up escalator, they embrace, kiss and the movie ends, leaving us to suppose that they live happily ever after.
jolrei
True, the setting in Paris is great. The actors are fine. The story is a twisted morality play. Is it supposed to say that if you want someone badly enough, it's OK to hurt everyone else along the way? In a real romance, you sort of want less cliché than the man who has become bored with his wife and is willing to dump his family, and the woman who is OK with encouraging him to do this. So what if they are decent looking and if Karen Allen shows off her body? The characters are still self-absorbed and reprehensible. Maybe the moral of the story is "you get what you deserve". I give it a 4, only for the fast scan potential through the "male interest" bits.
snookies80
I watch this over 10 times.I say this movie is excellent because if you really watch this movie you see why he want the other lady.Also the movie was told in a excellent way given the length they had.The movie had great passion.I recommend the movies before sunrise.I also recommend the sequel before sunset.I am happy i finally bought the movie until September.I hope they make a part two with the same people but older wouldn't that be interesting after 21 years.I love this movie because it gives you that warm feeling inside.This movie makes me sigh and sigh.I recommend before sunrise because it is similair to until September.
gingerdee2003
I saw this one in college my roommate dragged me to it and I enjoyed it. I watched it recently and found it boring and silly.It's an attractive film (how can a film set in Paris be unattractive?). But the main character is a clueless bumpkin who is remarkably selfish. "Mo" is the kind of person who makes foreigners ridicule Americans. What Mo sees in Xavier and what he sees in her baffles me. He's a cold fish and she's a warm (albeit somewhat dull) and loving (if misguided) person. It would have been useful to flesh out his marital problems more thoroughly.Still, it's a good film for exploring the differences between the French and Americans. The sex scenes are a bit gratuitous.Vive Le difference. And vive La France.