Before Midnight Review

A while ago I got in a conversation with one of my friends about movies; he asked me what my favorite trilogy was. I told him the Lord of the Rings trilogy in a heartbeat, it wasn't even a question. If I could go back, I would actually have to think about. Recently I discovered the Before trilogy: Before Sunrise (my pick for best movie of 1995), Before Sunset (my pick for best movie of 2004), and the final installment just recently released Before Midnight. Here's how it all started, in Before Sunrise an American named Jesse and a French woman named Celine meet on a train in Germany. Jesse is going to this city to get the first flight back home early in the morning while Celine is on her way home from her own trip. The two meet and have a connection, once they arrive at the city Jesse is getting off at his proposes a deal. Since he's leaving early in the morning he decided to just walk around the city and not bother with a hotel room, he asks Celine to join him. She agrees and all they do is talk, by the end of the night they are in love. They agree to meet up in the city again in 6 months. Nine years later the events of Before Sunset happen. At this point both characters have moved on in their lives and never met up again. Jesse has actually written a bestselling book, based on the night the two of them shared. He's on a book tour in Europe and while on his last stop in a book store in France, Celine shows up and surprises him. She heard that he was going to be in town and couldn't resist. Since their last meeting Jesse is married with a kid and Celine is in a long standing relationship. Since France was his last stop he is supposed to fly back home at the end of the day, but wants to spend as much time with Celine as possible. So they decide to just walk around and talk about what happened since their last encounter. They soon realize that they still have feelings for each other, and Jesse decides to miss his flight to spend a little more time with her. And seven years later Before Midnight happens, here Jesse and his wife are divorced, he's in a relationship with Celine, together they have twin girls, he writes a couple more books and becomes an established author, and they live in Europe. Taking place in the summer, Jesse's son actually comes to visit him. Jesse feels that he is losing connection with his son and wants to move back to America. And at the same time Celine is having an identity crisis, after working environmental work for a while she is considering taking a job in the government against Jesse's suggestions. And on top of all of that while they are on a vacation visiting some friends in Greece, both are afraid they are no longer in love. There are a very finite number of trilogies where all three movies are great, and the Before trilogy has joined their ranks. What I love about these movies is how real they are. They aren't over the top and cheese like so many other romantic movies. It's just a couple talking about their views and beliefs and it's one of the most enthralling stories I've ever seen. I would like to say that Ethan Hawke (Jesse) and Julie Deply (Celine) have some of the best on screen chemistry I've ever seen, maybe the best. The movie also feels very believable, much more than the previous two. This isn't two people under extraordinary circumstances and fall in love instantly, this movie is about two people who have lost the sizzle in their relationship and are falling out of love. This is a story I can believe 100 percent. I love this movie, it's absolutely fantastic; I'd say it's the best of the trilogy, certainly one of the year’s best. If you like romantic movies, the Before trilogy is a must watch. It's smart, sincere, and emotional. And with this third installment, the Before trilogy has cemented its place as one of the all time greats. 

5/5 Stars.