Review of Before Midnight (2013) by Akash S — 04 Aug 2013

This is Richard Linklater's third part in the 'Before' series, and it's set 9 years after Jesse and Celine meet again in Paris during his book tour. It surely needs a lot of innovation and talent, both from the director and actors, to successfully and elegantly tell a story of two lives in the form of three movies, all set 9 years apart, each in the span of a day. Over these 18 years, we feel like we've grown with Jesse and Celine, and their lives are so intimately etched with ours.

This part is set in a Greek village, and seems more real and brutally honest. It gives an intrusively intriguing glimpse into the couple's life, nine years into their relationship. We see a happy but disgruntled couple; regrets, kids, hopes, dreams... all these seep in. Sometimes, the depth and intimacy of the their conversations and arguments feel too private for us to even be there.

The acting from the two leads is exceptional without a doubt. Hawke and Dephy have worn these characters along the years almost as their second skins. In this part, we see a completely new side. All the pent up regret and rage makes them confront each other with such aggression and sarcasm. Love is not completely lost between them; as long as they're communicating, we still see some kind of hope.

The first scene of the movie, where we see Jesse seeing off his son (from first wife) at the airport, and the hotel confrontation scene are exquisitely executed and brilliantly acted. Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick ['The Omen', 'Moonrise Kingdom'], the young actor who plays Jesse's son Hank, is quite talented and surprisingly charming.

The movie ends on a pleasing and magical note.

An unforgettable and unmatched love trilogy.