Review of Before Midnight (2013) by John M — 22 May 2015

The honeymoon's over, Johnny. The third in the "Before" trilogy, this is a re-visitation of the same couple (Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy), further down the line in their relationship, with a very different vibe, as it is has been almost two decades since their first tryst.

Now I have never seen the original Before Sunrise, although I've heard nothing but good things, and I do like Before Sunset, although it has been years since I saw it last. From what I remember, this is an entirely different maturity level, as these feel like real problems you would face in a long running relationship; you fall in love, have kids.

.. now what? The chemistry featured here truly gives you the feeling that these two characters have spent the last twenty years together, and you can tell exactly what is brewing just beneath the surface.

This movie is almost entirely conversation driven, and you really get wrapped in to these two fascinating differing points of view. The dialogue is hyper-realistic, and these feel like very real people, as they are two, well rounded characters that are easy to relate to.

Before Midnight reminds me of another movie that came out this year, Blue Jasmine: while it is undeniably quality, it reaches a point where it just gets straight up unpleasant to sit through. This isn't for everybody, but it is insightful to long term relationships, and for that, it is worth checking out.