Before Midnight

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!

“Before Midnight” is the kind of movie that lays a relationship bare without ever resorting to cheap tricks or forced sentimentality. With an emotional precision that’s rare in cinema, Richard Linklater, along with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, crafts the rawest and most mature chapter in a trilogy that began as a portrait of romantic connection and now dives into how time transforms—and sometimes erodes—that bond. This is no place for simplistic idealizations or the glamour of cinematic passion: what’s revealed is the raw essence of real love—contradictory, imperfect, and deeply human because of it.

The context has completely shifted. Jesse (Hawke) and Celine (Delpy) are no longer the charming young dreamers strolling aimlessly through Vienna or the nostalgic lovers reuniting in Paris. In “Before Midnight,” the weight of adulthood is ever-present. They’re now 41, parents to young twin girls, and navigating the daily challenges of a marriage that’s solid but not immune to the cracks of routine. By setting the story during a summer in Greece, Linklater subverts the idyllic scenery, using its beauty as a stark contrast to the couple’s internal struggles. Every wrinkle on Hawke and Delpy’s faces, every exasperated sigh or tired glance, carries the mark of time, showing how the years have left their scars—both physical and emotional.

The narrative sticks to the trilogy’s signature style, with long, flowing takes that allow conversations to unfold naturally. But the tone of their exchanges has changed drastically. Where Jesse and Celine once discussed possibilities and dreams of the future, they now hash out past mistakes and current frustrations. Linklater, Delpy, and Hawke’s writing is razor-sharp and layered, capturing the complexity of their interactions. Small gestures and looks reveal more than words—like when Celine cracks a seemingly trivial joke but layers it with biting subtext, her quick glance at Jesse’s reaction exposing years of shared intimacy that can be both a comfort and a weapon. What we witness is a living, unpredictable dialogue full of nuance.

One of “Before Midnight’s” greatest strengths is its refusal to romanticize love. Jesse and Celine are neither tragic heroes nor villains in their story; they’re just two people trying to balance the weight of their frustrations and unmet expectations. Their arguments, as painful and sometimes cruel as they are, are peppered with moments of humor and tenderness. When Jesse asks if Celine would get off the train with him if they met today, her hesitation doesn’t stem from a lack of love but from the difficulty of reimagining her partner as that idealized young man from the past. This brutal honesty doesn’t diminish the beauty of their relationship—it enhances it, showing that real love isn’t free of flaws but built on the ongoing effort to face them together.

Linklater’s direction is an exercise in subtlety and precision. He avoids dramatic framing or intrusive music, trusting in the powerhouse performances of his leads. Hawke and Delpy deliver raw, vulnerable, and deeply authentic portrayals. Delpy, in particular, navigates Celine’s contradictions with grace, portraying a woman oscillating between the strength of her independence and the insecurities of the sacrifices she’s made. Hawke, on the other hand, captures Jesse’s blend of charm and emotional immaturity, often deflecting tension with humor to avoid confrontation. Together, they embody characters who feel flawed yet profoundly real.

Another remarkable aspect of the film is how it deconstructs the myth of “happily ever after.” Instead of offering a comforting resolution, “Before Midnight” presents love as an ongoing process of negotiation and compromise, where wounds don’t completely heal but can be softened through mutual effort. The film challenges us to find beauty not in perfection but in the perseverance to keep going through the struggles. “Happily ever after” here isn’t an ending; it’s the daily fight to keep the connection alive, even when it feels fragile.

What makes “Before Midnight” so special is its ability to balance the harshness of reality with moments of hope. Jesse and Celine can still laugh together, tease each other, and occasionally surprise one another. These glimpses of genuine connection remind us that beneath all the layers of frustration and weariness, the same two young people who stepped off a train in Vienna decades ago still exist. The trilogy as a whole isn’t just a story of love—it’s a reflection on what it means to love across a lifetime, with all its contradictions, pain, and moments of redemption.

Ultimately, “Before Midnight” doesn’t just make you think about love; it forces you to confront your own expectations and experiences. It doesn’t offer easy answers, but it leaves behind a powerful message: true love isn’t immune to time or hardship but persists in the willingness to face those battles together. It’s a portrait of a relationship in its most genuine form, and it’s this honesty that makes it such an unforgettable milestone in modern cinema.

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).

I wish I have some batshit crazy person like Celine in my life :D

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 ❤, story and screenplay ❤, the shooting locations and various cultures in entire trilogy ❤

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! ❤❤

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.

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.