Review of Before Midnight (2013) by Garmy — 23 Jun 2013

I missed out on Before Sunset and Before Sunrise until recently when my girlfriend had me watch them with her in preparation for Before Midnight. I was floored and thought about both of these movies for a few days after. Considering how much I enjoyed Linklater's other films (Slacker, Waking Life, Scanner Darkly), I don't know how I missed these.

Luckily, I didn't have to wait 9 years to see Before Midnight... because it's easily the best in the series.

Throughout the first two films, you see a romantic relationship blossom, but they are not without complications and turmoil. Remember the mystic in the first one? How they both had a different impression and had a minor fight over it? This trend clearly grows in their relationship over time, as Before Midnight isn't the idyllic paradise we might expect. Within the first 10 minutes, a minor fight breaks out. Through the course of the film, tensions grow. This isn't without charming moments where we see romance and love, but it's not the near perfect encounters we're used to.

While the film breaks our expectation, it also simultaneously meets it perfectly. We may be jarred by the change of tone, but through its honesty and brutality, the story that's delivered is nothing short of perfect. The arc that we see Celine and Jesse take is convincingly real and compelling, sad and happy, heartbreaking and heartwarming.

Celine acts crazy and Jesse acts distant, and both have their valid and invalid concerns, desires, and complaints. Some may argue that Celine acts unreasonable, but this isn't a story about a perfect life. It's a story about a real one. Sometimes, people act unreasonable, unable to express themselves coherently, and raising their hackles in defense at any opposition. It may take a couple days and viewings to totally understand and see all the layers involved in this couple's life, but that understanding is rewarded when the whole thing comes together and you see both sides clearer than either of the characters do.

If this ends up being the final chapter in this story, it would be a fitting end. This series is beautiful and honest, and shouldn't be missed. Before Midnight stands, in my mind, as the best of the trilogy.