BEFORE MIDNIGHT (review)

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Review by Caitlyn Thompson

Before Midnight, the third installment of Richard Linklater’s exquisitely realistic portrayal of love, is a beautifully authentic display of a seasoned relationship.  Actors and co-writers Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpey bring both a natural rapport and chemistry to their performances .

Nearly twenty years ago, we met Jessie (Hawke) and Celine (Delpey) in the first film, Before Sunrise. The pair fell in love but is unfortunately separated by distance and circumstance.


They meet again nine years later in Before Sunset when Jessie’s national bestseller based on their experience brings him abroad. The end of the second film leaves us with the implication that Jessie may leave his wife in the US and start a life with the true love of his life, Celine.

The first two films were a unique and candid display of these two individuals’ views of love, politics, and life. The evocative nature of the series stems from the presentation of their private conversations. The audience is a fly on the wall bearing witness to Jessie and Celine’s opinions and passionate insights. It was amazing that as soon as Delpey and Hawke began talking in Before Midnight, I felt at home. The atmosphere is so sincerely familiar, even when it aches with doubt as the movie progresses.

Before Midnight is different than its predecessors.

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