I've loved the first two Before movies, but this one kinda felt short... Don't get me wrong, it was still great, but I didn't saw the "magic" I saw on the first two.
2022 is the year that we should see Jesse and Celine again. I wonder where they are now...
This trilogy has literally changed the way I think about life.
So I will use this space to review the third element of the trilogy and to criticize the trilogy as a whole. I will try my best to keep these paragraphs as short as possible.
About Before Midnight, what can I say? It is without any shadow of a doubt the most generic, uninteresting and mediocre of the trilogy. Nothing speaks to me and the runtime doesn't help. The topics I mentioned in the review of Before Sunset apply, and perhaps to a far worse effect than the previous sequel.
The trilogy as an overall is a real trip. And just like life, the quality of each sequel declines. Perhaps the following theory, which a fellow cinephile once told me, is effectively true: "The film you like best in the trilogy is the one you identify with the age of the lovers and the kind of love and passion..."
With that being said, my favourite is without any shadow of doubt Before Sunrise
This film is part of the Before Trilogie
Before Sunrise (1995) https://trakt.tv/movies/before-sunrise-1995
Before Sunset(2004) https://trakt.tv/movies/before-sunset-2004
Before Midnight (2013) https://trakt.tv/movies/before-midnight-2013
The first two were movie and this is real. Life is full of ups and downs. Hope they will make it
Had a proper cry right there at the end. A great ending to the trilogy.
After being enchanted by the first two movies in the trilogy, I can't help but being disappointed by the decision to pair up the two lovers. It changes the series from two lovers catching up and taking a break from real life, and changes it to the same two experiencing real life, bringing the series from an extraordinary and unique story to one that's been told countless times before. Still an excellent movie, but I'd love to have seen a continuation of the wish fulfillment and fantasy from the first two.
We say goodbye to Jesse and Celine. The first movie was hopeful and romantic, this one felt more real. One thing that surprised me is the evolution of the characters. In the first one I loved Celine, her simplicity and smartness. I didn't like Jesse so much. I thought he wasn't able to understand her well and make her happy in the long run. In this one, Jesse is mature, rational and romantic at the same time. Meanwhile, Celine is a little bit strange, she doesn't listen him like she is used to... maybe it's just the evolution of the couple.
For the first time in this trilogy I missed some moments of silence. Even watching the sunset disappearing, a nice moment to enjoy silence, we have the comment of Celine that watches the sun going away.
It's going to be sad to say goodbye to these characters. It was like opening a book and reading a chapter, skip some ones, going forward. But this was the final chapter.
This one made me much more sad about life then the previous two. It is much more grounded in real life getting in the way of love and the whole hotel scene made me uncomfortable. Still it has amazing dialogue and Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy have great chemistry (even when fighting).
great movie until they reach the hotel. i guess i had always assumed these two had a better grasp on themselves than to devolve into "youre crazy and no one will ever love you except me" as a way of handling stress in a relationship. and the final scene was disappointing to say the least. not what i expected from a Before movie.
loved the farewell dinner scene. 3 generations giving their perspectives on love and relationships. smart and touching.
Not my favourite. I love angst in love stories, I don't mind the uglier side of relationships, but not when it feels like the characters absolutely cannot stand each other. The arguments were too petty and too annoying and too cliché to actually build any sort of meaning or commentary beyond what we were given at face value. Yeah, alright, the movie proves love isn't a bed of roses, but it does so in an uninspired way in my opinion, then trying to salvage itself by throwing a few callbacks and clever dialogue about the relationship between love, life and time that all just mostly fall flat (even if there's some genuinely good moments in the midst of it all). Jesse and Celine work as a fleeting relationship, not as a long lasting one. In the other two films you could see they got on each other's nerves but it worked cus they were only in each other's presence for a brief period of time. This film wants so hard to be realistic, but there's nothing realistic about these two staying together for this long. The creator of this trilogy should have realised this worked better as a succession of one night stands.
The two predecessors were great, but this one is outstanding!
For me it's hard to explain how I feel about this, how much I love the Before trilogy.
The three films are one of the most honest and beautiful films ever made.
Everything about them it's just perfect!
Lovely movie. Here's hoping for a 4th one.
I wish I have some batshit crazy person like Celine in my life :D
With "Before Midnight," Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, and Ethan Hawke managed to deliver the perfect conclusion to the Before trilogy. Delpy and Hawke's chemistry is undeniable anyway, but this time the actual plot is also a highlight. While the first two films were about Jesse and Céline just getting to know each other (again), this time they are characters who have developed a deep and intimate relationship over the course of several years, with all of the problems that entails. This also means that there are significantly more 'real' conflicts and therefore more arguments than in the previous films. The dialog is as strong as ever, but this time it is complemented by a sense of melancholy. On the other hand, the conclusion is less open-ended, so it also feels like a fitting end to the trilogy.
All three movies in this series can probably relate to a specific age range, and this one is definitely not for me. Regardless, I can still appreciate the story being told and how it relates to real life. Great trilogy.
While "Before Midnight" is part of Richard Linklater's critically acclaimed "Before" trilogy and an impressive attempt at exploring mature love and relationships, I found myself somewhat disappointed. It's a long and winding journey filled with endless bickering that often comes off as tiresome rather than thought-provoking.
First, the magic of "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset" lies in the characters' exploration of new places and ideas, coupled with the tension of their fleeting time together. In contrast, "Before Midnight" spends most of its runtime with Celine and Jesse arguing about their relationship, parenthood, and careers. What was once romantic and captivating now seems whiny and overly drawn out. The bittersweet charm of the first two films is replaced by bitter realism, which, while realistic, isn't always compelling to watch.
Second, the film lacks the visual appeal of its predecessors. "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset" used the backdrop of Vienna and Paris beautifully, making the cities almost a character in their own right. "Before Midnight," set in Greece, had the potential to do the same but instead confines the characters in hotel rooms and cars for most of the film. This not only makes the film visually dull, but also limits the range of interactions and experiences the characters could have had.
Lastly, the intense focus on Celine and Jesse means that the supporting characters are underdeveloped. The couple's friends and family members, who could have provided a broader perspective on love and relationships, barely get any screen time.
Overall, while "Before Midnight" is undoubtedly a mature portrayal of a long-term relationship, it lacks the charm, whimsy, and visual splendor of the previous films in the trilogy. For me, it felt more like an extended debate than a narrative, which, while potentially insightful, ultimately made for a less engaging viewing experience.
i recall watching the first 2 movies before my only marriage, and after my divorce i think i completely forgot that i must have already watched this many years ago!
and, this speaks a lot to me as i turned 42 and went through this separation in a somewhat similar fight, in which she claimed to stop loving me and then leave.
so real.
i just have no idea how to find her again and meet her again, but i know this will happen. this last scene.
thanks for the inspiration anyway!
and the amazing trilogy that could still use a 4th volume.
Binged this movie trilogy in 2023. One of the most realistic romance I ever watched.
The chemistry :heart:, story and screenplay :heart:, the shooting locations and various cultures in entire trilogy :heart:
This trilogy has become one of my best romance movies. I loved how the movies progressed right from 1994 to 2013 and has been still relevant. It stands out from all the stupid rom coms I have watched in all these years. Let's just say this is gold in coal mine.
I highly recommend this trilogy! :heart::heart:
Tbh i expected great ending for this trilogy, Specially when they could write better story than that
but Anyway i still love this couple
I loved the way they made this romantic movie show the hardness of relationships, even those that seem to be perfect a priori. The first shows the flame of passion. The second, the connection that never died, the feeling that was always there to be unleashed. The third, the consolidation of the perfect, what we want so much in life, it shows us that this perfect is different from what we idealize... it is perfect with its problems, with its hardships. In the end, that's what love is about. I loved this trilogy so much. I loved the way they made such a beautiful scene transition: one moment they're in love, talking incessantly and interestingly; in the other they are arguing from internal complexities that were being guarded. Just gratitude to the creators and actors who played so well, it was a spectacle.
I commend this movie on the conversations it prompts, and I honestly feel like it’s a great tool to use to suss out what someone’s view on love and relationships is - just make them watch this and ask what they think! and it truly has some incredible dialogues and acting, just like the first two. but I truly cannot get behind it and its message.
i really think they fucked up with this one. however, i still rate it highly because regardless of that disastrous last scene, the rest of the film is genuinely good and it does make you think, and that is primarily what we should ask of a great movie - that it makes you think.
A fitting end to the trilogy. I think the thing I liked about the series the most is that their conversations and interested changed so dramatically from film to film.
Nice way to end up one of the best romance trilogies ever but it's far away from the unique feeling you were getting from before sunrise..This is how it goes for me
1) Before sunrise 8.5
2) Before sunset 7.4
3)Before midnight 7.3
It's been 9 years from the previous story and the film is set in Greece this time. This is the last one of the sequence. In my opinion, the main theme is more practical than before and based on our actual life or feelings. That's why it makes me feel it's less romantic compared to last two series, but there is still full of conversation among people, especially between two in whole drama and I enjoy the philosophical atmosphere in the ancient place. I like the scene in which three generations eat dinner together and discuss "love" mentioning a bit of scientific fact and a change of technology nowadays. The film was released in 2013, so people talk about Skype or they use smartphones a lot. One of participants of the dinner says love is changing in this modern age because of technology. It may be true. One young girl who looks in teens and accompanies her boyfriend left an interesting question. That is like this ; "Is there any possibility of eternal love? And Does it have any meanings in this age? That's because we will separate someday somehow."
We really did not enjoy this film. It is 100 minutes of dialogue between a man and a woman. There's no plot of note. It's like being a fly on the wall listening to a regular couple talk nonsense. Ethan Hawke was excellent as usual, and I had high hopes for this given that it is 94/100 on metacritic. Perhaps it's a little too arthouse for me, but we just found it extremely boring.
I would have given this 9 if they had not chickened out at the very end.
Out of the 200ish 2013 releases i've seen Before Midnight was my absolute favourite one. I adored it. Before Sunrise, Sunset & Midnight is an amazing trilogy and a must watch.
Here is the thing: I saw Certified Copy before these films. I also did not know it was a trilogy until after I watched Before Sunrise (and that doesn't flow too well) and just last week I watched the first one and quite enjoyed it... I'm honestly shocked by how well received this one was.
The first half is quite allright but it didn't flow well initially. At the hotel however it kinda (forgive the unromantic word) shits over the first two films. They managed to convert Céline into a complete psycho and undermine everything she stood for. They were living together for almost ten years now and can get into such a petty fight? It goes as far as the oh-so-realistic-true-love-couple is OK with cheating on their soulmate (because we're so liberal)? She just rants about everything and storms out and returns to the hotel room thrice? After coming to the conclusion that you're not in love anymore what better way to fix thing is there than to go and have sex...
I was also quite annoyed by the general edgyness they have shown us and honestly; the dialogue has always been written a bit too sharp but it doesn't work for a married couple anymore. Especially when they talk that much, those topics and still revealing so much new about each other.
I'm in love with the three movies. This one was, again, a great portrait of a relationship. Now there's no casual meeting, Celine and Jesse have been sharing a life together but it's no bed of roses. Problems arise as well as self-doubt and even second guessing the choices one has made up until that moment. And yet it still manages to be romantic while showing the effort both have to put on the relationship for it to work.
Review by DeletedBlockedParentSpoilers2014-07-20T02:59:31Z
I loved the first two movies with a passion. This movie addresses how that dream fits into a real life and not just stolen moments between two people who have exceptional connection to each other and a lot of chemistry. It started kind of slow and awkwardly. You get to see the little things that would annoy them about each other. The conversation at the farewell dinner about love somehow diminished the ideal that they followed. All the generations except the old lady believe that the concept of a soulmate was a flawed if not insane one. They saw it as misguided and incomplete and that you should not look to another for completion. They did that and looked guilty in those moments in the movie. What the old lady had with her husband that she was fighting to still remember and preserve in her mind before she forgets it all.....that is what they have and I think secretly hope for.....someone who will love them enough to want to remember them like that. The fighting between them is insane and frustrating. I thought better of the characters the moment when he said "be my friend" and she was ... at point in the conversation it seemed like them. I would think that after all that time that they would have been able to sustain that level of communication even if worse came to worst because of their love for each other and the connection that was always so fluid with them. I expected more of them in terms of how that conflict would have been resolved. I am disappointed that they would cheat on each other it seems low of them and dishonoring to their love. They need to be clear about what they need from each other and work from there. Truly hear each other and work at it. Not listening is something that I didn't think would have happened. I could accept that they may not do it all the time but it seems like years of not listening. There is obvious unresolved guilt about taking another woman's husband for Celine. Her controlling nature causes her it hijack Jesse's relationship with his son. Every time he calls she never passes the phone for him to get the connection he desperately wants with his son. He misses his son and feels a loss because he is not there. She is not considering that fully. She most likely is right that it will work out when he is older but the anxiety of having lost the chance to impact more on his son's formative years is not going away and the guilt may remain for sometime if not always. Jesse was her and their family but he want s all of his family, which includes his son. Based on his reaction to his son leaving he seems to feels a sense completion if not perfection when his son is with them. He wants the best environment for his son and thinks that they are it. It is wonderful I that she and his son have that kind of relationship though and I am sure that is because she is such a wonderful caretaker but they don't let us, the audience see much of that. Celine is just doing and then being resentful about it somehow. She also has issue with the idea of her that had been penned. Jesse thinks that she is ok'd resolved but she is nowhere near that. The characters are complex and flawed and I am happy that they ended the movies with hope though still worrying. I had to see it after the first two but I think it could have stopped before the hotel or after he poured the wine and ended there with some love and connection in conversation culminated by just a knowing and compassionate kiss that kind of says....shit! Life is hard but I am glad I am with you for the ride. C'est la vie. Those are just my thoughts.