Review of Before Midnight (2013) by Foxgrove — 21 Jun 2013

Before Midnight is the third in the series of films which have become an unlikely success story in a world of block buster or comic strip character sequels. Not as good as its predecessors, Midnight is so talky that one wishes at times that someone would take a breath.

Basically consisting of five major scenes, the airport and car journey sequences see the film off to a promising start only to have it falter in the next, a dinner, which is without question the worst part of the film.

Negative reaction sets in here due to bad supporting actors and irritating writing which, whilst trying to be profound one moment and frivolous the next, is just annoying. The heart of the film takes place in a hotel room where disappointments, criticism and recriminations come to the fore.

It is in this approximately 40 minute sequence that the film really comes alive demonstrating that despite all attempts to the contrary long term relationships do become jaded and always need to be worked on.

Delpy and, especially, Hawke excel here. They inhabit their characters like a second skin and Midnight rises to the expected level which the first hour fails to attain.