Movie Breakdown: Before Midnight

People are doing traditional-style reviews all over the web, so we decided to try something different.  In each “breakdown” we’ll take a look at what a film’s marketing lead us to believe, how the movie actually played, and then what we learned from it all.  Read on!

The Impression:

18 years ago Richard Linklater teamed up with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy for a beloved little film called Before Sunrise.  In 2004 the trio rejoined for the sequel, Before Sunset, and now they’re back once more (for the last time?) with Before Midnight.  Romantics everywhere can barely contain themselves.

The Reality:

As a big fan of the previous two films, I will say that I adored Before Midnight.  Watching Jesse and Celine interact on the screen again was a thoroughly lovely experience, and I spent much of the film feeling as though I was being given the chance to catch up on the lives of two good friends.  It was sort of odd, to be honest.  How many films have characters like that?  Have I really been committed to their fictitious lives for 18 years?  Calling it fascinating would probably be an understatement.

In any case, Before Midnight is great, and you should go see it.  Just make sure you’ve caught the first two entries, though, or you’ll probably have a bad time.

The Lesson:

Linklater, Hawke, and Delpy can do no wrong together.