I was on air as I walked out of the theater Friday night after seeing Before Midnight, the third in the Before trilogy. How is it that a movie gets better with each sequel? And it's not like a helluva lot happens in each film. It's a series that relies on conversation to propel the plot. If you love movies where people walk and talk (think: "The West Wing"), this movie series is for you.
I love the idea that a movie has a life of its own outside of the theater. We lucky movie-goers get to see just a glimpse of these characters' lives---three days so far---and get to play catch-up for an hour and a half. I keep waiting for the Before franchise to suddenly click with the general public and become a phenomenon, but I love that it still seems to be this little-indie-movie-that-could, chugging along and spawning sequels strictly for its fans---not for the crazy profit.
I'm going to spoil the plot of Before Midnight for you, after the link to the AMAHZING soundtrack, so beware.
Spoilers!
So Celine and Jesse are together, nearly 10 years after Before Sunset. What happened after that cliffhanger of an ending? Apparently Jesse missed his plane and engaged in intense lovemaking with Celine over the course of the sequential days, which in turn brought about his divorce and successful followup book to his first novel.
They have twins---adorable blonde girls named Ella and Nina (like Simone---how fitting!). The crux of the movie is the argument that Jesse kinda wants to move back to the U.S. to be close to his son Hank, from his first marriage, and Celine doesn't want to go because of her job. I think what's most amazing about Before Midnight is the intensity of a situation that might seem pretty mundane compared to superheroes and stoner end-of-the-world comedies. BM's script weaves together comedy, politics, and heartbreak. Surely, this will be the Oscar season where Julie Delpy or Ethan Hawke gets recognized for Best Actress/Actor and the film gets Best Picture and Best Screenplay nominations. It's too much to ignore at this point.
Without giving too much away, the ending to this film is also kind of a cliffhanger. I hope beyond hope that Richard Linklater and Delpy/Hawke are on board for another film in another 10 years. The only quesiton is: What will the title be? Before Morning? Before Mid-Afternoon? Before Dusk? Leave your suggestions in the comments.
Before Depends? (Like the undergarment, you know...depends)
Posted by: Christina | 06/17/2013 at 02:12 PM
That is HILARIOUS! Love it!
Posted by: Mego | 06/17/2013 at 06:46 PM