Review of Before Midnight (2013) by Chillindylan G — 22 Jul 2015

I wasn't crazy about the first 1/3 of this movie as there were too many ancillary characters (including the children) that "muddied the waters" a bit. I get that they were a necessity for catching up on the happenings of the past 9 years and establishing the current state of everything, but nevertheless I wasn't nearly as engaged as I had been throughout the first 2 films.

However, once they leave the dinner party for their "adult night" away from the kids, we get back to the energy that was apparent in the first two films - except it is through an opposing lens from the other films as they are now a long-standing couple with real problems rather than two hopeful souls who desire to be together more than anything. And, with that, comes entirely different conversational tones and topics; but they are able to maintain the give-and-take banter and energy present in the other films. The topics just happen to be of a much more negative and volatile nature as the pendulum has swung from trying to figure out how to BE together to trying to figure out how to STAY together with all the deep seeded and resentful problems that have festered for years and are now erupting to the surface in one fell swoop. And, it is very fascinating and comes off very real. The last few minutes puts the viewer on the edge of his or her seat with a "will they/won't they" question of a different variety as Linklater, Hawke, and Delpy expertly raises the stakes and tangibly puts the entire relationship (and consequently the retrospective importance of the first two films) in major jeopardy. A very good end to one of the best trilogies not only in its genre, but any genre.

Grade = 8/10.