Movie date: Before We Go (PG13)
This is no Before Sunrise or Once, but as a serviceable date movie, it’ll do.
STARRING Chris Evans, Alice Eve
DIRECTOR Chris Evans
THE SKINNY Two strangers (Evans and Eve) meet at Grand Central Station in New York and spend the rest of the night on an adventure around the city. Over the course of the night, they discover each other’s deepest secrets and fears and grow into each others’ most trusted confidants.
MARS by JASON JOHNSON
So basically, this flick is a lot like Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise.
Two attractive young strangers meet, wander the city streets, talk a bunch and then part.
It even has "before" in the title.
The main difference between the two films is that Before Sunrise is a masterpiece while Before We Go is an inferior homage.
That said, it's still pretty likeable.
Evans, who is both the director and the star, grew a beard for the project, so you know he took it pretty seriously.
Just like Ben Affleck, with his directing beard.
Evans and Eve are an attractive couple, but they don't give off much heat.
As handsome as Evans is, there's something almost asexual about him.
He seems too nice to do the nasty.
In fact, the whole film could best be described as affable.
One of my favourite scenes is when Evans and Eve crash a party and then put on an impromptu performance of My Funny Valentine. Evans plays the trumpet, Eve sings, and it's quite nice.
The weakest aspect is the characters' backstories.
Evans is still pining for a girl he broke up with six years ago. I'm sorry, but it doesn't take a sexy guy like Evans six years to find someone new. And Eve has some lame marital issues.
These kids need to have more fun, like in Before Sunrise.
Rating: 3/5
VENUS by LISA TWANG
The main takeaway from Before We Go is that Evans looks great with a beard.
It certainly adds to his scruffy musician character's appeal.
While it appears to aspire to be this generation's Before Sunrise, I thought it resembles John Carney's 2007 indie music flick Once.
Or at least, it's like a watered-down US version of Once.
Boy meets girl, they make music and magic together, but it all turns out rather bittersweet.
Before We Go is a sweet film, but I didn't care much for Eve's character Brooke.
She's the classic version of an uptight girl who just needs to loosen up a bit. True, she has marriage problems, but she can be downright nasty at times.
I'm not exactly sure why Evans' Nick falls head over heels in love with her, other than the fact that she's obviously hot and can hold a tune.
But maybe I'm overthinking this.
Before We Go is the kind of movie you watch to enjoy the sight of two gorgeous leads walking around Manhattan late at night, sipping cocktails and chatting about life.
It's certainly beautifully shot and there's a life lesson or two in there.
It lacks the emotional intensity and easy charm of Once, but it has its moments, like the pretty romantic one where the couple doodle on the back of a hotel room painting, which could inspire some real-life copycats.
Rating: 3/5
THE CONSENSUS This is no Before Sunrise or Once, but as a serviceable date movie, it’ll do.
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