Review of Before Midnight (2013) by Petros K — 09 Oct 2013

Before Midnight is a near perfect conclusion to the "world's VERY BEST film trilogy that has cumulatively earned just under $20 million (!!) at the US box office". It is unheard of in today's money-hungry industry that films with such meager financial return(s) would be given the honor and respect once-given to films worthy of yesteryear's "trilogy tribute" as nearly anything (today) can become a film trilogy IF it makes some money and can sell Happy Meals.

That this trilogy was made as it has done neither is a testament to the quality of the films, the filmmaker (Richard Linklater - Dazed and Confused, A Scanner Darkly) and his talented cast and collaborators (who helped co-write both sequels) as well as the incredibly loyal fan base of the "Before" films.

The films as a whole are somewhat special and comparing them to other rom-coms and relationship dramedies would be like comparing apples to oranges as these Before films focus almost solely upon two realistic characters and their relationship with ONE another with very few outside distractions, distortions or cinematically manufactured dysfunctions.

The simple story began in 1995 when Jesse (Ethan Hawke - Training Day, Gattaca) -- a young American travelling through the heart of Europe -- met Celine (Julie Delpy - The Hoax, Broken Flowers) an intellectual Parisian beauty who captivated Jesse's mind as the pair spent a perfect evening together knowing they'd most likely never meet again as their paths in life had already been set and this "one night stand" of stimulating conversation was their reprieve of what came next in each of their respective lives.

The story continued in Paris nine years later when they encountered one another on the European leg of his book tour and it concludes nearly 20 years after it all began on a beautiful Greek isle as the pair -- again talk and talk and talk -- of their life together and what it has meant to each of their individual lives.

There is heart and humor and fear and frustration as well as some anger and misunderstanding on top of both respect and resentment in their story ... and it is these layers that make Jesse and Celine's story so authentic, engrossing and moving.

The three films are VERY talk-centric and those who would rather watch film as opposed to listening or hearing it most likely will not care for these. This film will also mean (very) little to anybody who has not seen the previous two; but the back story is not needed for one see an unbelievable chemistry between two stars who have believably matured before our very eyes.

Delpy and Hawke KNOW their characters and it shows. They and Linklater KNOW what their audience wants ... and they've given it to us. Piece by piece the films are each good; but all together they are great.