Before Midnight

A few months ago, upon learning that Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, and Julie Delpy had trekked off to Greece to shoot Before Midnight in relative secret, my first thought was “Why?” Why do this? Why risk tarnishing something so pure? And then I realized that was my exact thought upon hearing of Linklater’s Before Sunset nine years ago. Before Sunrise, the first film in this unlikely franchise, released in 1995, is as heartwarming a film of love as I’ve ever seen. Nine years later, Linklater and his stars made Before Sunset, and why? “Why take the risk of ruining it,” I thought then.

Needless to say, I was not let down by Before Sunset. It improved upon an already perfect cinematic love, and it did it with one 80 minute long conversation. Fade to black. Bliss.

So, to bring this full circle, while my initial apprehension toward Before Midnight was identical to how I once felt about Before Sunset, it’s only appropriate that now, having seen Before Midnight, I am at ease in the best, most familiar way imaginable.

I’m not going to discuss the story of Before Midnight. It deserves better than that. I was very fortunate to watch this film without one shred of knowledge as to what it is about. I avoided on-set production pictures, purposefully missed the film’s trailer, dodged reviews, festival chatter, you name it. All in an effort to witness the love of Jesse (Hawke) and Celine (Delpy) anew. So instead of dissecting what the film is about, I’ll spend my time detailing what makes it so great.

And make no mistake, Before Midnight is a great film. Perhaps a truly great one. I’m always hesitant to issue hyperbolic praise mere hours after watching a film, as I think all movies reveal themselves in the days, weeks, and months after we first see them. But know that, as it sits now, I consider Before Midnight a triumph.

I’ve always felt there were two main types of movie going audiences. Those who want to escape, and those who want to be reminded. Most people watch movies to escape. Of the current top 10 highest grossing films in America, only one film could actual happen. Everything else is physics-ignorant action sequences, super heroes, doomsdays and on and on. I’m not knocking it, I’m simply pointing out that most people who pay good money to see a movie want to be entertained.

They don’t want to watch two people talk about life, love, and hardship possibly because they can experience that first hand. Watching a bunch of cops and criminals spend dozens of minutes fast and furiously attempting to stop a plane from taking off is something you can only see in a movie. Watching two people bitch about their relationship is something you can do at home. Escapism over realism.

And trust me, I know how crudely I’m generalizing here. Of course there are other kinds of moviegoers. There are people who enjoy everything and will see anything. But my point is: what is good film acting? Is it acting that is blatantly obvious, or is it something that we write off as real? (Or is it both?) I love Daniel Day-Lewis and I love his performance in There Will Be Blood, but that dude is acting. For every frame of that film, I’m watching an actor work, and work damn well.

Conversely, when I watch Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy argue, I think I’m watching Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy argue. I assume this is how these two people behave in real life. Old friends who bicker endlessly, with no resolve in sight. But I’m not watching that. I’m watching Jesse and Celine argue. I’m watching actors who are so genuine that I forget I’m watching a movie. It’s not the kind of acting that wins awards, but it’s the kind of acting that doesn’t get enough credit. Because it’s so true, we often forget how difficult it is to pull off.

I’ve spent most of my time here detailing the acting of this film, because that is what anchors the three films in this franchise. Sure, they often implore impressively long unbroken shots and precise writing, but above all, Hawke and Delpy are our guides. Our guides to truth. Our guides to love. Our guides to filmmaking at its most authentic.

And you can be sure, nine years from now, that’ll still be the kind of movie I want to see. A

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