The next set of reviews we’ll be publishing are some of the ones Roger Thomas has done exclusively for The Stanly News & Press. Roger has written movie reviews for The Stanly News & Press and other outlets for years, long before starting this blog. So we decided it would be good to give readers a sample of his previous work, in addition to posts of reviews of current films. Other reviews will run daily.
Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy
“Before Midnight” is the third installment in an 18 year old story from director Richard Linklater. Linklater has made several films I believe are truly special. “Dazed and Confused” is perhaps his most lauded film by many, but it is not among my favorites. “Waking Life and Me” and “Orson Welles” are two of his better works. The first two films in the “Before” series are also special. But my favorite is a film I have praised in my column several times over the last year. “Bernie” is by far the best film of Linklater’s career, thus far.
As I reflect over all these films, I realize something. Linklater’s best films are driven by conversation. “Waking Life” is an animated film filled with philosophy discussed by the characters amidst fascinating visuals. “Me and Orson Welles” is all about the dialogue for there is little action in this film about staging a play. “Before Sunrise” is a film about an all night chat while “Before Sunset,” obviously, is a discussion over one day. And what would “Bernie” be without the townspeople conversing about the title character and driving the story to its superb conclusion.
“Before Midnight” continues the tradition as Linklater makes yet another film celebrating the art of conversation. In “Sunrise” (1995), a young couple meet on a train in Europe and end up spending the night together. In “Sunset” (2004), they are reunited for the first time in nine years and fall in love again. When the story picks up in “Midnight,” another nine years have passed, they are married with two children plus another child from the husband’s previous marriage. The couple is on holiday, but soon their fun will end and real life is pushing them toward some altering decisions.
Ethan Hawke (Jesse) and Julie Delpy (Celine) play the two leading roles in all three films. They are likable actors who are very natural having long conversations about a whole host of topics. By the third installment, the characters they play are mature adults, no longer living for the moment or expecting life will always be free and exhilarating. They know each other’s flaws and habits, and like many couples they suppress the urge to speak the truth or blurt it out at inconvenient times.
To the novice who has not seen the two previous films, “Before Midnight” is accessible, but I am not sure it would resonate in the same way as it does for someone who has followed these characters for almost 20 years. And if one does not enjoy eavesdropping on the conversations of others, this film might become an unbearable 109 minutes.
Personally, I liked most of it. There is a scene in a small church that is a bit crass. But the other conversations intrigued me. And the dialogue always seemed authentic, grounded in the reality that Linklater, Hawke and Delpy have developed with these three films. My favorite conversation is the one around the table when the film’s two leads are sharing a meal with three other couples. That one still echoes in my mind. The conversation between the men about Jesse’s new book is also an inspired scene. Someone shared with me that they read another critic who condemned the extended argument toward the end as beyond a tolerable length. I found it to be harsh, real and compelling.
The “Before” films may be winding down now. Some have said this was intended to be a trilogy. I hope not. I want to see Jesse and Celine in another nine years and nine years after that. I want to know if their love grows or dies. I want know what worries them in the future, what they look back on with regret and what they anticipate with joy. I want to see more beautiful European sites. And most of all, I want to hear Jesse and Celine converse because I know it will entertain me and provoke thought.
Box Office results
Domestic gross: $8,114,627
Foreign gross: $3,061,842
Production budget: NA
Opening weekend: $246,914
NOTE: Information from Boxofficemojo.com
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