Review of Before Midnight (2013) by David G — 08 Aug 2013

A brilliant masterpiece and the best cinematic trilogy of all time - yeah, I just gave Coppola and Lucas a cinephile smack-down. The continuing story of Jesse and Celine now together nearly a decade. They have kids and step-kids and are vacationing one Summer in Greece.

Like all real couples, they love, make love, bicker, dwell on their children and fight - and they both know how to strike close to the nerve. Their confrontations are uncomfortable, but frank and true.

I remember in Frances Ha, she liked to "play fight" - that's Hollywood couple fight, but here, we have 18 years vested and they are family. We wish for a fairy tale happiness, but the film does not draw easy conclusions.

That's real, that's life. But, keep in mind, it's funny, sweet, romantic with moments of truth not usually heard on film. It's as though we eavesdrop on a middle age couple as they go over the good and bad moments of their lives - the jealousy, suspicions and plans/fears of the future.

Richard Linklater has crafted an exquisite, smart film with his co-stars Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. I would love to visit Jesse and Celine in another 5-10 years to see the progression of their lives whether they are together or not would be of interest!