Before Midnight: Questions of Love

Thanks to a little bit of inspiration from my friend Katy Rochelle, I've already reviewed the first two installments of Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, both very well done movies. One thing I can say about this director, especially if Boyhood is also something to go by, is that he seems to have a lot of patience and dedication to his projects, as do his actors. Even the Harry Potter films had some casting changes (although the biggest one was necessitated by the death of Richard Harris) and the whole series went through several directors.

Somehow, though, Richard Linklater has been able to make three of these films, each ten years apart, with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy always ready to come back for more (not to mention at the same time, he's been making Boyhood over the past twelve years, also with Hawke). I have no idea how he manages to do it. How can he stay committed to these things? How does he juggle his different projects. This guy might well have set a record for the most patient and dedicated man in the world.

The movie itself, in keeping with the pattern in this series, moves ahead ten years after Before Sunset. Jesse and Celine are living together and entering middle age. They now have two daughters and Jesse is still struggling to maintain a solid relationship with his son (who he rarely gets to see due to the legal actions of his uncooperative ex-wife). This time round the action is being placed in Greece, where Jesse has been invited to stay with several other writers, and he and Celine get some time alone together during which the strength of their relationship is tested.

Where Before Sunrise dealt with young love, and Before Sunset focused on the reunion of two lost lovers, Before Midnight is about the difficulties in the relationship between the two leads. There is a lot more tension between Jesse and Celine compared to the previous movies. Both characters have their own anxieties that interfere with their romance, and have to figure out how to work through it.

This in turn becomes the major driving force of their conversations, as opposed to the more philosophically-bent discussions which came up throughout the previous films (though they do manage to resurface once in a while). The two of them come into conflict numerous times, even breaking out into fights, and yet there is still something of that old romance left. This installment in turn builds on questions established in the previous films, namely what exactly is love and what does it mean to be in love?

The pacing is a bit slower compared to the previous films, but to be fair it never seems to go on for too long, even many of its scenes are noticeably drawn out. This also reflects the aging of the characters. Before Sunrise had a more reckless young couple and thus had a lot more action. With Before Sunset and Before Midnight things start to slow down in keeping with the time that has passed, and how the people we see now are much more passive.

Before Midnight is a worthy follow-up to the previous films in Linklater's trilogy, but what I'm curious about is whether he has any plans to do more. There are definitely plenty of great European locations that could be used for future installments. Switzerland would be a good choice, not to mention a number of Italian cities (Rome has a lot of great landmarks, but I think Venice would make a pretty good backdrop). Even Britain might be able to work (although it might not seem as "exotic" given the people there speak English). The only thing would be what to call it, since they're running out of times of day.

Perhaps in another ten years we'll see Jesse and Celine again, but in the mean time there is an excellent trilogy of films. From the young and passionate love of Before Sunrise to the troubles faced in Before Midnight, there is a clear growth in these two lovers, a fact helped by the extended time in between installments. I have no idea how Richard Linklater has the patience to wait ten years between these films while also balancing all of his other projects, but whatever he does, it seems to be working.

Before Sunset: Fine Romance

Well, after being won over by Before Sunrise, I decided to check out the rest of Richard Linklater's "Before" Trilogy. The first one was so simple and yet so emotional, and now I finally had a chance to see the second installment, also quite enjoyable. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy both reprise their roles from the first film as Jesse and Celine, the two lovers who once spent a memorable night together in Vienna, Austria before being separated shortly after sunrise.

The story jumps ahead ten years, in keeping with the aging of the actors since then. Jesse is now a successful writer with a wife and son and Celine is an aspiring musician who can play the guitar (but refuses to sing if she doesn't have a guitar with her). Jesse just happens to be in Paris on a book tour when Celine shows up at one of his signings. Even though Jesse has a plane to catch, the two of them decide to get back together and wander around Paris, rekindling their old love for each other and facing the uncertainty of their future.

The narrative itself slows down a bit compared to the first film, but in some ways that works, as it reflects the aging of the characters. Though we don't travel through as many different locations within Paris as Before Sunrise did in Vienna, the scenery we do get to experience is just as impressive.

The chemistry between the two leads is excellent, just as in the first film. Both are complex characters and play off of each other well enough to keep the story going, which is good because there aren't really any other characters of significance who appear on screen. At the same time, however, there is something new brought in rather than just re-hashing the original. The characters have aged ten years, and it shows in their performance. We see how both were affected by their previous meeting and we start to delve a lot more into their personal lives.

Before Sunset is definitely a worthy follow-up to Before Sunrise. It manages to keep true to the spirit of its predecessor while also trying to find something new to bring into the interactions between its leads. If I were to make any serious complaint, I thought the ending may have been a bit of an odd choice, but I think that's more because the movie wasn't made with the expectation that people seeing it at the time would know that another sequel exists.

Before Sunrise: Romance at its Finest

I had heard a lot about Richard Linklater's "Before" trilogy for some time. I'd already knew quite a bit about the first two installments when it was announced that Before Midnight was in production and I'd been meaning to see the series for some time. It all sounded so simple yet so beautiful; two lovers meeting in a scenic location, wandering around and interacting, making the best of their time together.

After reading a review by my friend Katy Rochelle from Girl Meets Cinema (you can see her review here), I finally decided to pick up a DVD copy of Before Sunrise. The result I would say is everything I had been told and possibly a little bit more. The only trouble is I still have a tendency to mix up the titles of all three movies.

Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy play Jesse and Celine, two young lovers of very different national backgrounds who by complete chance end up sitting together on the same train. They start talking but the train reaches Jesse's destination of Vienna (which is in Austria, not in Italy; apparently that's a common misconception). He has a flight back to America the following morning and invites Celine to come with him to see Vienna for the evening. She agrees and the rest of the movie is their interactions as they explore various parts of the city. They raise questions about what it means to be in love and try to have a great time before they have to leave each other in the morning.

Really, when you get down to it, it is the interactions between the two characters that really drives the film. Both leads deliver exceptional performances and play off of each other to great effect, which is good because Jesse and Celine are really the only major characters in the film. They encounter various other people but none of them are really anything more than a background role for the central relationship. 

There is not a single scene that goes by without at least one of them having something meaningful to say, but it never feels forced, rushed, or overly drawn out. The movie takes its time when it needs to but scenes never go on longer than necessary. In fact, if anything the way these two people play off of each other makes it all the more compelling. It's a bit like what I've suggested made My Dinner With Andre work so well: the simple interactions between two characters with very different personalities (and in this case, also from two different countries) is enough to drive the story.

Of course, the acting alone doesn't carry a film, but I can't name any specific flaws with the movie itself. The script works surprisingly well, with just the right balance of comedy and drama. There are lighter more humorous moments and other points that are more serious, and even a few in between, but it never goes too far one way or the the other.

The direction and cinematography are spot on, creating the perfect sort of atmosphere. Despite the minimalist structure the film also takes full advantage of its setting. As you can expect from a movie set in a location like Vienna, there is lots and lots of great scenery, both as backgrounds and for our two protagonists to explore.

This is definitely a movie I would recommend to anyone, even if like me you're not immediately drawn towards romance. As I'd always heard, it is so simple, but at the same time just so emotionally investing. It is a well-crafted film centered around two characters with wonderful chemistry, and almost certainly a must-see for any film buff.

I am curious to see where the sequels will go with these two characters, and whatever happens I'm looking forward to it. However, if they ever make a fourth one I can't help wondering what they'd call it. They're running out of times of day and "Before Noon" doesn't quite have the same ring to it.