Before Midnight (2013)

Let's be realistic.

I like Black Panther, but I didn't like this movie.

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

I'm not sure why people have top rated this movie, it actually mislead me to download the torrent. I started watching this movie will be good and interesting, but it was not. I watched for one hour, but still what they do is talking talking and talking nothing else believe me. It was so boring to watch continuous talking. I think this movie is over rated.

When you feel compelled to write a review (it's 00:40am) you know the film has hit you hard. I was astounded at the sheer realness of the way these films are presented. Real time, long shots, conversational dialogue, absence of plot, real locations. The films are one long conversation between two characters but it's just so engaging on a variety of levels. First the performances, which are made with such depth and magnitude. The chemistry between Hawke and Delpy is astonishing. It truly is hard to believe their not in love, although I'm sure there is love between them. They have a mutual respect for one another that really shows. You can feel the tension between them radiating off screen at times which makes the believability unquestionable. The writing is so rich with matter yet so naturalistic and justified. I was amazed that the basis of the trilogy was walking and talking, yet what Celine and Jesse talk about sums up, to me, everything life musters. And then add in the actual story these two characters share and Linklater has captured the complexity of life in a way I've never seen before. It's painfully real. There were so many subtle parallels within the writing which symbolised the 'passing through time' concept. Each scene ignited a sense of wonderment within me, causing me to ponder over my life showing the universal themes buried within the text.I watched the trilogy within 24 hours because I just found the whole piece of work to be utterly refreshing. Be warned, there is no fairy tale within this utterly romantic yet, painfully honest exploration of the paradoxical nature of life, love and people.

One of the initial shots of Before Midnight is not something that has been seen before in the trilogy; the camera swings around to reveal the family that we have been anticipating since 2004, twin daughters sleeping in the backseat. The camera had been mostly static previously, capturing the couple as they walked aimlessly and talked endlessly. The settings, Vienna and Paris, were beautiful and exotic, but they would have fallen in love in any city in the world. It does not look cinematic, and yet that initial shot at once conjures up so many questions of this new chapter of their lives. This time, they vacate in the southern Peloponnese and it is just as stunning, but there is nothing blissful about the experience, and the most riveting scene takes place in a shabby hotel room, where Linklater swaps the iconic medium two-shots that have been pervasive throughout the trilogy, unblinking in their long takes, with shot-reverse-shot, and cuts up the space between the couple as they argue. It is not until the final shot that Linklater really uses the setting, and we dolly back to unveil the shimmering ocean and gorgeous harbour-side twinkling in the night. There is another distinct break from tradition; whereas Sunrise and Sunset almost exclusively featured only Jesse and Celine, madly falling and re-falling in love, Midnight has a cast of other characters, and it is here that it slightly falters. For all the philosophical musing and long-winded anecdotes about love, they feel like ideas and conversations for our main characters, but instead of trimming sensibly, they have been reintroduced into the dialogue of others. It is easy, for example, to compare the wide-eyed, lovestruck experiences of the young couple to another young couple that met on a train all those years ago. And when Xenia Kalogeropoulou heartbreakingly reveals that she is forgetting the little things that her late husband used to do, and how it is like losing him all over again, it feels a lot like Celine's monologue in Sunset, where she ends with one single clear memory: the red in Jesse's beard. These feel less like fully realised supporting characters, and more like younger and older versions of Jesse and Celine. But returning to the pair reveals a deeper and more mature narrative yet. Sunset ended on a magnificent cliffhanger, but we all knew that the heartbreak of the missed opportunity was too great, and that they would not let another chance slip away. They have twin daughters. Celine's accent comes and goes but has noticeably faded. Jesse's novels are now famous enough to be recognised by Greek receptionists (and this creates probably one of the best and more subtle scenes of the movie, where Celine is visibly bothered by being placed in a little box and designated as a character in Jesse's life - I have no doubt that the Madeline version of Celine is fully realised, successful and happy - moreso than Celine anyway). When they rewind time and talk of that fateful train encounter all those years ago, it is startling how different they are now; Jesse hesitates just slightly when asked whether he would act the same way, and it is clear that Celine is no longer that radiant, carefree muse that caught his eye so long ago. And then there is perhaps the finest scene in the trilogy yet, which physically separates the pair within the frame and has them explode over each other's dialogue. There is so much raw emotion that spills from their mouths, but I think it is not overly vicious for the sake of hurting the other person. Like the back and forth pinball conversation in Vienna, it is defensive; they each attempt to explain their own perspective and their own feelings on juggling the various responsibilities of their chaotic lives. It is easy to write an argument and have two characters drown each other out in their anger, but in this case they pounce onto every word, broken promise, illogical leap and change of opinion, and throw it back into each other's faces, trying to gain an edge. Every phrase is twisted and extrapolated to its extreme, all except one; when Jesse confesses that he 'ruined his life' for her singing, it is such a clear opening for Celine to attack and tear down his arguments on how committed he is, but she relents, possibly because she thinks their relationship is still worth saving. He too, does not explode when she hangs those fatal words in the air and admits she does not love him anymore, because he is not so sure he is ready to believe it is over. The previous two films feel like daydreams compared to Midnight. A fresh-faced youthful Jesse described love as an unselfish, giving and beautiful thing. But it is clearly not as easy to say that when juggling such an emotionally painful predicament like their's. In the midst of their argument, there is a moment of such startling and brutal honesty. Celine confronts him with accusations of an affair from long ago (and I am sure that this is not the first time it has been brought up), and Jesse does not outright deny it, but adamantly reaffirms his love and commitment to her. It is so brilliant because we believe his lifelong commitment, but we also know that the affair has happened and has lingered over their relationship ever since. Infidelity is something that is so often treated as a comedic device in movies, but it is so easy to forget that it is a very real thing in many real life relationships. Here, we trust that their bond is strong enough to withstand such an affair, and move on from it. The red in his beard may have vanished long ago, but their love has matured and learned many lessons.

Two decades after Richard Linklater's beguiling 1995 romance Before Sunrise and nine years after 2004's equally charming Before Sunset, Ethan Hawke's American writer Jesse and Julie Delpy's French environmentalist Celine are back together in Before Midnight and they are still captivating company for anyone who fell for them during their previous strolls. Now, though, they are no longer footloose bohemians but parents of angelic twin daughters, on the cusp of middle age and facing the issue most movies ignore: how to keep love alive in a long-term relationship.If your idea of a good romance is one that climaxes with a last-minute dash to the airport, then Before Midnight probably won't turn you on. The film begins at an airport - as Jesse says goodbye to his teenage son - and what ensues during the following hundred minutes is deceptively casual - the couple's chatter seemingly improvised but actually carefully scripted by the supremely talented Linklater and put on screen with subtle craft.The movie is basically a three-act play, where the first act has an extraordinary set of single takes in a car ride that features talk of children, careers, and most importantly, aging apples. Up next is an idyllic Peloponnese villa, where Jesse and Celine are stationed with a host of friends. With all of them together, especially at a dinner that I didn't want to end, we hear about different aspects of love. Then comes the final act, where Jesse and Celine are left alone as they go on an evening stroll through the Greek ruins and stone streets to a posh hotel for a romantic night alone. Taking on the familiar walk 'n talk style of the previous films, we're initially brought at ease as the two simply ramble on together about anything and everything, playful and challenging in equal measure. But upon arriving at their room for what should have been an amorous night, a simple phone call is the impetus for what is a nasty, brutal argument that sees them ripping one another to shreds on just about every level. Misunderstandings, neuroses, and pent up frustrations snowball, all but shattering the fairy tale myth of the first two films, as their intimate confidences curdles into acrimony.But if you have been with Jesse and Celine through the slips and stumbles of their romantic journey, then their long, flowing, deceptively gripping conversations ripple with the realities of life. Jesse and Celine, clearly so comfortable in their characters' skin, indulge in intelligent banter, swapping Woody Allen-esque one-liners - nicely snarky, appealingly abrasive. It's been another nine years between films, and if so much has changed in the meantime, the unparalleled chemistry between Hawke and Delpy hasn't slipped even a little. They may be older, a bit wiser, and certainly more wrinkled, but their performances are nothing less than natural throughout. Witnessing their ageing, nagging, toying love on screen is a true privilege.Before Midnight is like an old friend who has grown sharper and saltier with life; and for students of cinema, the film is a master-class in the portrayal of human nature. It's one of the most convincing and charming representations of long-term coupledom you'll ever see - a literary as well as cinematic achievement to cherish!