365 Days. 365 Films.

This is a film about a man and a woman meeting on a train in Europe, and that’s it… There is nothing else to the plot besides them falling in love and going on a spontaneous mini break around Europe, but it works! The conversations they have are the ground for both the characters and the story rather than any actions, yet you never get bored of their endless chatting.

Jesse (Ethan Hawke) is an American, unsure of where his journey will take him or what he will do, and Celine (Julie Delpy) is a beautiful French woman teaching him European culture as someone who apparently travels a lot. I think that the charm of this movie comes from the natural chemistry between the stars and what feels like improvised dialogue. In the style of Woody Allen the dialogue is hesitant, imperfect and beautifully suited to the characters emotions within each scene. It really does create a sense of realism, effectively bringing the audience closer to the characters.

The direction of this film blends beautifully into the background too, making you forget you’re watching a film and enhances the sense of realism. From the director of School of Rock, Richard Linklater here shows off his talents, and a very different style too.

It’s definitely one to watch but possibly not for those who are impatient or don’t like romance, because this is very much a romance film a la Woody Allen – just with less of a plot…