As I was sitting in a Cambridge, Massachusetts’ movie theater in early 1995, vaguely entertained but mostly patiently waiting for “Before Sunrise” to end, I could not have guessed that nearly 20 years later I’d have fallen head over heels for the film’s two main characters. Of course part of the reason I couldn’t have anticipated this change in opinion is because I had no idea director Richard Linklater and stars Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke would decide to revisit these characters in nine year intervals. 2004’s “Before Sunset” was, simply put, a beautiful movie with an ending that left its fans wanting much more. Cut to 2013 and we once again have the pleasure of spending nearly two hours with Jesse and Celine.
In the previous films, Jesse (Hawke) and Celine (Delpy) were romantic souls seemingly fated to find each other. From the information viewers were given, in the span of 9 years they had spent less than a combined 24 hours together. The magical chemistry they shared in “Before Sunset” lends credence to the notion that distance makes the heart grow fonder. But in contrast to the mainly smooth ride of “Sunset,” the situations the couple find themselves in this time around are quite a bit thornier – as you might expect now that they’ve been living together for several years and have twin daughters. Even a romance as seemingly perfect as this one can’t escape the grind of day-to-day life.
The film opens with Jesse saying goodbye to his son, Hank (Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick), at the airport after spending a summer together in Greece. Hank is on his way back to his mother in the U.S., and like in the immediate aftermath of all their partings, Jesse laments not being a bigger part of his son’s life. He dances around the suggestion of moving back to the States to be with his son, but Celine is firmly against the idea. For starters, she has been offered a good job opportunity in France, where the couple lives, and also fears Jesse’s ex-wife will prevent them from getting too close to Hank.
Jesse, a novelist, has written two books, and is in Greece, with his family, at a writer’s retreat. Another couple at the retreat has given Jesse and Celine parting gifts in the forms of looking after their daughters for one night and treating them to a room in a beautiful hotel. They are somewhat reluctant to accept the gifts, but ultimately set off for an evening away from their daily routine. What starts off as an idyllic romantic escapade gradually morphs into a night of anger, frustration and resentment.
I may be guilty of making a grand overstatement, but it’s possible in the history of cinema, viewers have never had the opportunity to know film characters as intimately as they do Jesse and Celine. Sure, there have been characters with more screen appearances, but movie franchises are usually built around big concepts, not the nuances of human behavior. Those who have seen the first two films understand these movies aren’t plot driven, and are instead fueled by conversations almost exclusively between two characters.
Make no mistake, “Before Midnight” is a talky movie, but the chatter adds depth. There’s a scene at the retreat in the movie’s first half where Jesse and Celine engage in a conversation with a group of people. Admittedly, the scene drags, and at first I felt like it was due to unfocused dialogue. But upon second thought, this scene’s dialogue isn’t really less focused than in several other parts of the film. The reason it doesn’t mesh so well is because there are more participants in it than just Celine and Jesse. If we’re only going to see these characters every nine years, I suppose I’d like my time with them to not be interrupted by extraneous elements.
The film’s final 30 or so minutes are riveting – perhaps the most gripping section to be found in the trilogy. The tension reaches a boil when words are spoken that, at least figuratively, knock the wind out of the viewer. In fact, I can’t deny part of me wishes the film would’ve ended after this line was uttered – it would’ve been an incredibly bold move, but may have also come across like a cheap ploy. I’ll defer to the writers’ (Linklater, Delpy and Hawke) judgment on this one. Structurally, the film unfolds much like “Before Sunset” with long takes and long scenes. Certainly what adds to the movies’ allure is the photogenic settings, which Linklater again maximizes.
Although I’d advise potential viewers to watch the first two films before taking in “Before Midnight,” there’s an effective simplicity to the story that makes it possible to jump in without needing the background. And I look forward to the day when I can watch these movies as a triple feature. As for a part four, well, I cringe to think of how old I’ll be when 2022 rolls around, but getting to reunite with Jesse and Celine for another two hours is a comforting thought.