After really enjoying the previous two ‘Before’ films (Sunrise & Sunset) I was greatly looking forward to Before Midnight, the 2013 finale to the unconventional romance drama trilogy.
Before Midnight is set 9 years after Jesse (Ethan Hawke) walks out on his marriage for Celine (Julie Deply) the end of Before Sunset. Midnight opens with Jesse dropping his teenage son off at the airport to return to his mother. Feeling guilty that he has missed out on a large part of his sons life, Jesse asks Celine to consider moving to the U.S so the two can be closer. But, having just been offered the job of a lifetime Celine begins to feel backed into a corner by Jesse, as though she must choose between her family or her career.
Much like the last two films Before Midnight is a film of lengthy conversations, this time not about falling in love, but falling out of it. It all culminates in an explosive argument between the two that paints a picture of the roles men and women take in a family and how one can ultimately never understand the burden the other has to carry; this ignorance ultimately leading to resentment.
It is a beautifully shot, perfectly acted, rollercoaster of emotion and whilst I do prefer Before Sunset, Before Midnight is much more accessible due to its focus on practical relationships than love at first sight. In short, I feel the Beofre Trilogy is a series well worth seeking out for fans of the romance or drama genres, very little to disappoint in these three very unique films.
Before Midnight is set 9 years after Jesse (Ethan Hawke) walks out on his marriage for Celine (Julie Deply) the end of Before Sunset. Midnight opens with Jesse dropping his teenage son off at the airport to return to his mother. Feeling guilty that he has missed out on a large part of his sons life, Jesse asks Celine to consider moving to the U.S so the two can be closer. But, having just been offered the job of a lifetime Celine begins to feel backed into a corner by Jesse, as though she must choose between her family or her career.
Much like the last two films Before Midnight is a film of lengthy conversations, this time not about falling in love, but falling out of it. It all culminates in an explosive argument between the two that paints a picture of the roles men and women take in a family and how one can ultimately never understand the burden the other has to carry; this ignorance ultimately leading to resentment.
It is a beautifully shot, perfectly acted, rollercoaster of emotion and whilst I do prefer Before Sunset, Before Midnight is much more accessible due to its focus on practical relationships than love at first sight. In short, I feel the Beofre Trilogy is a series well worth seeking out for fans of the romance or drama genres, very little to disappoint in these three very unique films.