Before Midnight (2013)
So the third installment is again a great combination of similar elements and something completely different. The first two dealt in dreams, hopes and “what if”-scenerios, whereas now we are set in reality. The two have been together for about a decade and the complications of everyday real life has set in. As Jesse says in the movie, it is not perfect but it is real life. 80% of the movie is still them walking around talking, but with the sense that they now have a shared history changes things dramatically.
On a personal this is the one I could relate most to, being similarly aged with kids and all. Not that it is nearly as dramtic, but their issues with gender roles, parenting, expecations of life in general and how even the best compromises leaves things complicated is very much relatable. At first I thought Celine was written overly rude and militanty feministic where I naturally sided with Jesse, but I was also reminded of the issue of “mental overload” that I know many women - mothers in particular - feel and many men fail to recognize at first. We only get to see their heated argument so we don’t see any form of objective truth (expect perhaps earlier where we see Jesse just chatting with the other men about his writing whereas all the women are preparing dinner), though I don’t think the point is who might be right or wrong, or who is the rational one or whatever, but how they each perceive and feel the everyday lives they live.
However, unlike the first two movies, there are big parts of this that I didn’t like - making me go down to four stars, even though I think it is an essential part to the trilogy. First of, which is mostly a minor thing, I didn’t like the cinematography that much this time around. With the risk of sounding like a filmsnob, I think parts of it is that is shot digitally.It is sort of bland and unspiriing, and we don’t get to see much city scenery. My biggest gripe was though with the dinner scene. Was a nice to have some varition with more people engaged in a longer conversation, but it felt way to scripted and constructed. I know the rest of the dialogue between Jesse and Celine is also that, but that is somehows better masked by their chemistry and acting - and the long takes. It tricks me into thinking it is a natural conversation, whereas the dinner scene made me too aware I was watching a constructed script play out. One that was trying to say some very specific things and just needed random people to say certain points.
That said, a nice conclusion (at least for now? Who knows if we see them again as grandparents) to the trilogy and maybe I can convince my wife to watch it with me at some point.
Rating: 4