The romantic film “Before We Part”, reviews of which will be discussed in detail in this article, is the debut directorial work of Chris Evans. This is a beautiful, quiet, tender movie with famous actors in the lead roles.
The plot of the picture
The film “Before We Part” (2014) tells the love story of two very fragile, delicate people who do not always get along, but prefer to stay together all night.
The plot begins with a pretty nice meeting at Central Station in New York: in a hurry to catch the last train to Boston, Brooke drops and smashes his phone in front of jazz musician Nick. Having missed the train, the girl returns to the main terminal, where Nick gives her broken cell phone. Upon learning that Brook's wallet with all cash and credit cards has been stolen, he decides to help her return home. So begins the adventure of the heroes in night Manhattan, which will make them resist fears and help heal their heartache for the next few hours together.
Actors "Before We Part"
In addition to the director's work, Chris Evans also played the main role of the beautiful loser Nick, a jazz trumpeter. Evans is one of the most attractive men at Marvel Studios; in the popular franchise, he plays Captain America. Chris transferred the same decency and chivalry to his film.
Using a friendly and soft smile, Evans creates the image of a man charming and lost, which causes a certain amount of pity from the audience. Brooke performed by Alice Eve, in turn, is sometimes forgotten, seems closed and cannot be trusted by a man. For example, in the first minutes of meeting Nick, her behavior goes beyond that, reaches an outright bitchy, and even the nicest guy would probably give up trying to help her. According to reviews of Before We Part, Nick and Brooke don't seem more real or complex than smiling characters in Sunday advertisements. Their countless crises and emotional experiences seem superficial and do not cause the proper response from the audience.
The similarity to the trilogy of Richard Linklater
Many critics in the reviews of “Before We Part” draw an analogy between the script for Evans and the 1995 melodrama Before Dawn. More than twenty years later, Celine Delpy, a student at the University of Paris, and American tourist José Jesse saw each other for the first time on a train heading to Vienna. Then they impulsively decided to spend the day together before Jesse returned to the United States the next morning. Their discussions focused on everything that connects people to each other: love, life, religion, philosophy. They seemed to be two really living, complex people, sharing a passionate connection between body and mind, with whom you would like to spend more time and get to know them better. As the couple roam the streets of the stately city, director Richard Linklater’s gentle, observant gaze reflects the uncertainty and intoxication of young love, beginning with the first awkward signs of attraction to the encouraging promise that Celine and Jesse make after their inevitable breakup.
The reviews of “Before We Part” say that Evans clearly wants to make a fresh and exciting film by repeating Linklater’s success, but he lacks the skills to make the characters look natural. Most of the time, Brooke and Nick spend on people who offended them, it's like going on a date with someone who will talk only about his ex.
Conclusion
Both actors are attractive. They show as much depth and sensitivity as finely thought out roles. The problems and fears of the characters are not complex enough to be exciting, and ultimately they do not become more than just the banality of the script.