Before Midnight

Let's first get two things out of the way. If you've seen BEFORE SUNRISE and/or BEFORE SUNSET and disliked them...there is no reason to give BEFORE MIDNIGHT a try. And if you haven't seen those movies at all, I HIGHLY recommend you do prior to checking out Richard Linklater's latest near classic. I should also warn that even the most cursory mention of plot points in either the 2ndor the 3rdmovie can be construed as spoilers...but it's tough to talk about the 3rdfilm without giving away some surprise. I'll balance as best I can. In BEFORE SUNRISE, young American Jesse (Ethan Hawke), age about 23 meets young Frenchwoman Celine (Julie Delpy), age about 23. They are on a train bound for Vienna. Jesse is flying back to the US from Vienna the morning after the train arrives. Celine is on her way back to Paris after visiting family in Budapest. They strike up a conversation and clearly hit it off right away. Jesse asks Celine to get off the train with him and spend the night wandering Vienna before he has to leave Europe. The movie follows their ambling through Vienna and just lets them talk. And talk. And talk. And fall in love. For the right viewer, this was a nearly magical film that beautiful captured, through long, semi-improvised takes, the joy of two people getting to know each other and come to appreciate and even love each other. We felt like we were right there with them, and the two stars gave terrific performances. At the end, they agree they will meet again in 6 months, and we're left to wonder what happened to them. BEFORE SUNSET tells us (spoilers coming up). It's nine years later, and Jesse is in Paris speaking about his new book, which is clearly a retelling of that night in Vienna. Celine seeks him out and we quickly discover they did NOT meet (I won't spoil why). Jesse has just an hour before he needs to leave for the airport, and he and Celine pick up their easy conversation and share about their lives, including the regrets and unhappinesses they've had. It's clear they are meant to be together...their affection blooms almost immediately. New to the equation are some minor quarrels (why didn't you come? If only you hadn't..., etc.). But in the end, Jesse is deciding to miss his flight so he can delight in being in Celine's apartment, drinking tea, listening to her sing. The final scene of the movie is one of heartbreaking simplicity and yet such complex emotion. Now, another 9 years later, the two are each around 41 years old. SPOILERS AHEAD. They have been together since that time in Paris. They've had a sometimes rocky road, and this movie is more talking...this time in lovely Greece. They have kids. They aren't "new" to each other anymore as they were in the first 2 films. They are now capable of getting on each other's nerves. They haven't always just made each other happy. And near the end of the film, they engage in what I can only describe as the most brutal husband and wife argument since George and Martha got into it in WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF. There's no violence, but it's a rough scene. Raw and searing. Funny. Truthful. Utterly gripping. In real life, were I to spend much time with either of these two...I think I'd seriously dislike them. They are self-centered, pretentiously "artsy" and VERY vocal. I don't think I'd want to sit and listen to them talk all day. But this is a film, and Linklater and his stars (who have co-writing credit) can take us to just the right moments. The conversations (and snatches of conversation) that tell us all we need to know about the last nine years. It's an amazing film. It's illuminating and full of so many truths. They may not always be truths I can personally relate to...but they feel true and possible and real. After the film, you talk about Jesse and Celine as though they were real people. More than just about any other movie ever, I think. Their dialogue is so specific and so revealing. Yes, these folks are more articulate than any "real" people...but we don't really want to see normal, sloppy conversation. It's enjoyable to spend some time with these folks (although, again, I wouldn't like them in "real life") because they react to each other so believably. Their words mirror their actions and their expressions. Delpy and Hawke (who I'm not normally a huge fan of) have chemistry that's astonishing...you really feel you're peeking in on something you aren't meant to see and hear. All three films include gorgeous scenery, and BEFORE MIDNIGHT is the most gorgeous of all. The Greek countryside and seaside is lovely, and Linklater just lets his camera take it in casually. Jesse & Celine comment on it sometimes, but mostly it just flows over us. And the film is mostly a series of very long takes (the scene near the opening when they are driving from the airport back to the house they're staying at is at least 15 minutes long, and seen entirely through a front windshield...but it NEVER feels static). These films are made with such deceptive simplicity. I acknowledge that these films could also be insufferable to watch. My wife and I rewatched the first two just before going to this latest release, and BEFORE SUNRISE feels a smidge pretentious now. I think that has more to do with the fact that I'm also 18 years older. I have less patience for the naiveté of "young love" than I used to. But that also brought home to me that a perfectly legitimate reaction to these films could be boredom or loathing of the characters. But I consider myself lucky to be swept away by all three films...and in my opinion, BEFORE MIDNIGHT is best of the bunch. It's gorgeous to look at. It's richer in themes and content. It features the biggest acting challenges and the most blistering dialogue. It's hopeful (as all the films are), but the hope is the hardest fought and hardest won here. I highly recommend all three films for ADULT viewers...not just because they contain some profane language, but because I can't imagine a child or teen really understanding what these two are blathering on about (or caring). But if you're adult and you've been in love (or are in love) and have any inkling of the complications of being an adult in our world...this film should resonate resoundingly.

In a film market dominated by big commercial releases and the usual formulaic approach, Linklater et al have done an excellent job in presenting an alternative to the 'romantic comedy' formula. Instead of the airbrushed depiction of romance, here we have what feels like a real relationship with its very real hurdles. Jesse and Celine are now in their 40's, navigating the hassles of dealing with a blended family and ex-spouses, conflicts between pursuing one's career and spending time with the children. It's a more mature film than the last two of the series, and definitely 'darker'. Like the previous two films before it, the main focus is on the relationship between the two leads. Most of the scenes are long, and made to seem like a natural dialogue with its many digressions and irrelevancies. You may be forgiven to think the scenes were improvised. On closer examination, all the little dialogue digressions do have a point. Without giving the plot away, I can divide the film into 4 main parts. Followed by the opening airport scene where Jesse farewells his son (from his previous marriage) who is going back to his mother's, we have Jesse, Celine, and their twin daughters in a long scene (which was taken almost in one shot) in a car - travelling on vacation in Greece to meet friends. We are dropped right into their lives, and the scene basically serves as background to allow us to catch up on what's been happening to them since we last met them 9 years ago. This was followed by a couple of scenes around a Greek house where we meet other characters - a young couple much like Jesse and Celine might have been years ago; another couple in their 40's; and an older widow and widower who were dealing with their losses in different ways. This was a departure from the previous two films in that there are interesting characters beyond the lead couple. The long lunchtable scene was particularly memorable for the spontaneous conversations, always leading back to the topic of relationships. After that a long stroll with just Jesse and Celine talking/philosophising takes the audience right back to their similar interactions in the first film Before Sunrise. As they arrived at the hotel (for a romantic night organised by their friends), this led up to the climax of the film where the tension in the relationship culminates in what I think to be the most realistic depiction of a couple's fighting. The cinematography is adequate and the scenic backdrop is gorgeous even though that's not the point of the film. An original soundtrack was used for the first time in this set of films - it's very sparingly used but effective. It is the writing and the acting, as would be expected, that matters most in this exploration of a relationship. The minor characters are all likeable and believable, but it is Delpy and Hawke's acting (without making it look like acting) that really makes this film. (The leads also share the credits for the writing with Linklater.) What's equally impressive is the matching between the chronology of the three films and real life - the actors aged fairly closely to the films. This film achieves the best intention of 'reality TV/documentary' using totally fictitious characters. Reading some online reviews, I think this film polarises audience - you either love it or hate it. There would be a few who watched this film without knowing anything about the previous two - and if you did that you will not enjoy this film to its potential. Then there are those who do not enjoy the intense conversations. Yes the film is a 'talkfest'. If you don't like this sort of thing, then steer clear from it. And then, there are reviewers who disliked the film's depiction of a relationship - finding the realism too stark - these reviewers tend to like the first two films (or at least the first one). To this I will only say that this is not your usual rom-com, and the audience needs to be prepared for possibly confronting themes (despite the idyllic setting!) I didn't fully explore the special DVD features but the commentary by Linklater, Hawke and Delpy was fascinating - a must for anyone who enjoyed the film and wants to find out about the writing process.

My so likes it

Thoroughly enjoyed the movie. This movie is part of a trilogy.

Dernier film de la trilogie des "Before". Le film de la maturité. Après la rencontre, les retrouvailles voilà l'amour à l'épreuve du quotidien. La magie des longues conversations. Réaliste et enchanteur.

BUENISIMA Y LA MUSICA DEL FINAL EXTRAODINARIA ES PARA VERLA DOS VECES LOS ACTORES EXTRAODINARIOS DESDE EL PRIMERO AL ULTIMO PERO EL TAGO DEL FINAL ES PARA GRABARSELO

As a hardened and unsentimental old pragmatist I never thought I would be SO captivated by this agonisingly beautiful love story. Julie Delpy is terrific, a real woman, faults and all (and has gorgeous breasts, although not glimpsed until "After Midnight) and Is the total opposite of those currently acclaimed "celebrities", all of whom are indistinguishable from one another. I have since purchased "Before Sunrise" and " Before Sunset". Fabulous trilogy, watched over again and again - that's unheard of for me! Incidentally, the takes are astonishingly protracted, some rivalling "Rear Window" for their length. Incredible stuff!