It seems hard to believe but it's been 19 years since
director Richard Linklater and actors Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy brought out a
surprising hit romantic film with BEFORE SUNRISE. That movie captured audiences
slowly and became not only a great date film but a movie that showed two young
people who meet on a train, spend time together and fall in love, even if only
for one night. Ten years later they followed that up with BEFORE SUNSET and had
Hawke's character Jesse, a successful writer who wrote about that evening,
meeting up with Delpy's Celine once again. Both movies left an open ending with
people unsure of what happened next. BEFORE MIDNIGHT answers some of those
questions and leaves new ones by the end of the film.
It is now 9 years since the last film and Jesse has left
behind his wife and family to be with Celine. The pair have two children of
their own, twin girls who are the light of their lives. The film opens with
them about to end a vacation in Greece and Jesse taking his son Hank to the
airport to fly home. His wife has custody and as they part, Jesse begins to
dwell on his responsibility to his son and feeling how he hasn't been there for
him. As he and Celine drive back to where they are staying, the home of another
author they were invited to, they discuss their lives; what each one wants,
Celine's possibly taking a job in Paris, Jesse feeling that he should be nearer
Hank and what they both want from life.
In a nutshell all things stem from those questions. The second
segment has them at the friend's house over dinner where different couples
relate their own views of love and relationships. From there it moves on to a
walk that Celine and Jesse take through town. The last act ends up with them in
a hotel room their friends have presented to them as a gift, a chance to get
away from the crowd and the kids for a nice romantic evening. Oddly enough
things never seem to turn out as planned.
What could sound like a boring film is actually quite
entertaining and interesting. There is no action and no extended scenes of
lovemaking. Instead the art of conversation is seen from beginning to end. The
fact that these actors could play through these scenes seamlessly is a credit
to their abilities. From the conversation in the car to the round table
discussion over dinner, every actor does an amazing job. The culmination of the
relationship between Jesse and Celine at the hotel room is stunning to watch
and as accurate a depiction of real life and romance as one will see in a film.
It is obvious that both characters are in love with one
another but the selfish side for each comes out at the worst possible moments
and leads to one misunderstanding after another. Anyone in a long term
relationship knows that wrong things are said, meanings are misunderstood and
that love fluctuates from infatuation to anger in the blink of an eye. All of
that is represented in this film as the pair tries to find the love they shared
through the years. While we might all dream of storybook/fairy tale romance,
the reality is always much different but also much deeper.
I watched this film at the end of the night, tired and
fearful that I might fall asleep not due to the film but because of the hour.
Instead I found myself captured by the tale of Jesse and Celine, wanting to
find out their solutions if any were found and hoping that their love would
come through in the end. Sorry but you'll have to watch yourself to find out
the answer to that one. It will be well worth your time.
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