IN Richard Linklater's wistful 1995 romance Before Sunrise, erudite French student Celine (Delpy) and American dreamer Jesse (Hawke) met by chance on a train travelling from Budapest to Vienna.

The strangers savoured a magical 24 hours together, including a sexually-charged night under the stars.

The next morning, Celine and Jesse tearfully go their separate ways, but not before a vow to meet up in Vienna six months later.

Before Sunset continues the romantic travails of these two characters, some nine years after that first unforgettable meeting.

Jesse is now a best-selling author on a European tour to promote his debut novel.

Midway through a reading at a Parisian bookstore, Jesse is delighted to catch sight of Celine.

She has hardly changed and following the reading, Jesse is keen to make amends for nine years apart.

However, time is painfully short - soon, Jesse must board a plane that will take him back to America and his wife and son.

And so he suggests that Celine accompany him on a walk around the city.

Old feelings resurface and the two former lovers discuss what might have been - and still could be.

Hopeless romantic that I am, Before Sunrise sent me into swoons of giddy delight.

Before Sunset is even more emotionally rich and satisfying, anchored by two sensational performances from Hawke and Delpy.

Both actors are so natural and spontaneous in front of the camera, any sense of artifice immediately melts away.

You truly feel like you are eavesdropping on a conversation between two people who have not seen each other for years and are hungrily devouring each shared word.

Linklater captures the tete-a-tete in a mosaic of long, uninterrupted tracking shots, which meander through the back streets of Paris as everyday life embraces Jesse and Celine.

As the minutes ebb away, the tension gradually builds to a devastating and audacious final shot that will leave you gasping for breath.