MOVIE REVIEW - Before Midnight

In very limited release it's Before Midnight.  This is a small, independent movie that is another sequel to Before Sunrise (1995) and Before Sunset (2004).   This stars Ethan Hawke, and Julie Delpy, in essentially this two-person movie.

Up front and honest. This is a movie that in the grand scheme of things 12 people are going to see.  You can Netflix the first two is you want if you want to get caught up.  This movie is only going to appeal to a very, very small slice of the actual movie going public, as it is way outside the norm.

This is the continuing story of Jessie (Hawke), and Celine (Delpy).  They are extremely well developed characters who are constantly facing real life and current relationship troubles, and they keep talking and trying to work it out.  Jessie is 41 now, and is an excellent microcosm of his generation.  He is a writer that has seemingly spent his life avoiding real work.  He is half mature, and very full of himself, and an honesty problem.  Has a 13 year old son who lives half a world away in Chicago with his real mother that hates Jessie.  He also has young win girls with Celine, that he loves very much.

Celine is a amazingly complicated and strong French woman, who loves her independence, and loves living in Paris with Jessie.   She refuses to marry Jessie, and refuses to move to America where Jessie could be a bigger part of his son's life.   Both of our characters has a nice line of communication with each other, and a large amount of resentment towards each other as well. This movie shows them in conflict, as they are facing a large relationship crisis and are at a crossroads.  Will they survive?

This is very dramatic stuff,  and a very different kind of movie making.  It's a series of about 5 very long, and drawn out scenes, some in a single camera shot with very little editing.   We are eavesdropping on their long and involved conversations as their lives play out right in front of us.  Needless to say this is not for everyone, as it is far more like a play than a movie.  These incredibly skilled actors recite piles of very well written dialogue that is a very good snapshot of current relationships troubles, yet timeless at the same time.

Hawke has never been better, and shows just how good he can be and perfectly cast as the flippant Jessie.  Delpy is riveting as the chip-on-her -shoulder Celine.  It is very difficult not to keep your eyes on her as she is amazingly real, and vulnerable.   A fantastic mix of broken English and a soft French accent is very easy to listen to.  She really owns the screen here and it's very hard not to feel what she feels.   She is nothing short of terrific in this movie.  But fair warning, this is a movie-goers movie and not mass appeal.  But if you love great acting, no action, and little comedy in a very dramatic movie than this is for you.  It's a sad love story, that does make you think about your own life in many ways.

Before Midnight.   Few will see it, and that's expected.  But this is pretty darn good.