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[Mabase]

Best film in 2013? Best film in 2013.

Just saw it, have to see it again to determine if I like it better than Sunset, but one thing is clear to me:
Linklater, Delpy and Hawke could go on and make "Before..." movies until they died, and they would all be glorious.

The honesty, the humour, the truthfulness, the conflicts, the subtlety, the sheer balls; Before Midnight so elegantly asks Celine and Jesse new questions of love as Forty-Somethings, and (at least for me) delivers the emotional rollercoasters movies so often promise, but actually never deliver.

Needless to say, go and watch Before Midnight as soon as possible. Tell all your friends. Buy multiple tickets. Make Ethan Hawke Cosplay. Whatever it takes, support this gem.

We need more movies like this.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

Can't stop thinking about the film. It really hit me in the gut. If it gets a limited release outside of festivals in Aus I think I'll definitely catch it again.

 

[sixteen-bit]

Saw it today. Looooved it. Fantastic film and a great way to wrap up the trilogy!

 

[Merino]

If any movie is worth a 9 year wait this was it.

I'm at a loss for words how much I enjoyed this. The authenticity is mesmerizing. Possibly my favorite of the three due to the deeper subject matter. As a trilogy these movies stand unrivaled.

 

[Fry]

Dat metacritic rating.

 

[Cheebo]

At a screening Linklater said there is a good chance for a 4th but he won't know for 5-6 years. I really hope they keep making these every 9 years.

 

[smokeymicpot]

Finally seen it. Holy shit it was good. Would love a 4th in a decade.


Thinking about it. That was such a great movie. Everything about it was excellent. That ending everything. Just felt connected to them after this series even more. Not another series will be like this.

 

[Rayven]

Saw it with the wife 2 weekends ago and kinda surprised at the love fest. I much prefer the previous 2 films.

Straight up, the film is harder to watch and that's fine, but the character arcs didn't feel natural to me. The hopeful couple has had their lives and viewpoints compressed in a way that felt off and flat.

Good stuff:
Some of the real moments are just as shockingly authentic as the previous movies. Example: the ups and downs of a massive argument where the participants come up for air by flowing into semi-normal conversation then flare up again because they haven't said all they need to.

The film is a work of art (holy shit @ the opening driving take).

Not so good stuff:
The supporting cast is nowhere near the previous films and the locale isn't a big presence. Think about the river-side poet, the bartender, or the random harpsichord compared to the nympho or the young couple at dinner.

I'm sure I'll watch it again, just a little salty.

 

[smokeymicpot]

I mean this movie might be best of the year.

 

[killertofu]

I'm going through the "Before" series now. I love this movie. And this quote...

"You know what's the worst thing about somebody breaking up with you? It's when you remember how little you thought about the people you broke up with and you realize that is how little they're thinking of you. You know, you'd like to think you're both in all this pain but they're just like "Hey, I'm glad you're gone"

is so painfully true ;_____;

OMG THIS MOVIE IS SO REAL IT HURTS. the feeeeeels

 

[Expendable.]

Expanding to 897 theaters tomorrow!

Here's a must-watch 45-minute discussion after you've seen the movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aLdeVf3rfCk

And let me know your thoughts on this article after you've viewed:

Romance In Europe: How ‘Before Midnight’ Connects to ‘Journey to Italy,’ ‘Certified Copy’ & More

 

[inm8num2]

The trio did an AMA on reddit today.

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1g9vm5/we_are_richard_linklater_julie_delpy_and_ethan/

 

[mr2xxx]

Too much hype in this thread, gotta bail before expectations get too high. Loved the first two and can't wait to see this film this week.

 

[killertofu]

God, Before Sunset down. I really needed this.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

God, Before Sunset down. I really needed this.

I know.

 

[killertofu]

I know.

I think I might like this one more than Sunrise. Sunset feels like how I romanticize aspects of my life, clinging onto things because of hope and a bit from being naive. But Sunset just feels a lot more real. Like someone slapping me across the face.

Urgh, really want to see Midnight.

 

[Tucah]

Finally seeing this tomorrow. I haven't been this excited to see a movie in a long, long time. Sunrise/Sunset are two of my favorite films, I'm going in 100% blind and I can't wait. Man, tomorrow is going to be fantastic - probably doing seeing This is the End and Before Midnight, with a little bit of The Last of Us in between.

 

[anaron]

I need this NOW.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

I'm definitely going to be seeing it again when it hits commercial release over here next month.

 

[Griegite]

Glad to see its expanding and I can finally see it this weekend!

 

[killertofu]

How are these movies not on Criterion or something?

 

[brianjones]

really liked this but the ending wasn't as satisfying as the first 2

 

[killertofu]

Just caught it. The brutal honesty was a little too close...there were moments where I really thought I couldn't handle anymore and I wanted to leave the theatre

Spoiler

The scene in the hotel just hit me so hard. The Chicago/Paris argument was just my last five months with my ex-girlfriend. Trying to figure out if I wanted to stay in LA to pursue my shit in film versus her in San Francisco.

I definitely did need this. The previous week I had just been trying to write about our relationship, the highs and lows. Then I watch these films and it mirrored so much of myself. Bluegh.

 

[Idde]

Awesome movie. So great how the tone was consistent with the first two movies, but how it also dealt with different themes. Just like how Sunset felt like Sunrise, but also had its own distinct feel and topics.

And at the end, the thist thing I thought was:

Spoiler

that asshole Linklater did it again. We still don't know if they "end up" together. This ending was just as ambiguous as the ending of the first two.

With those two I was positive they'd end up together. But after the last scene in Midnight, I don't really know. Jesse was able to diffuse the situation with his usual wit and charm, as he did so many times before in Midnight (and even in Sunrise), but that's just a band aid. He seems ill equipped to actually communicate with Celine, and live happily ever after with the love of his life.

And I also liked how much sense Celine made, despite me agreeing with Jesse in thinking she was the mayor of crazytown. Even though she was making huge leaps in logic, and becoming pretty much crazy, everything was understandable, from her point of view.

But yeah, awesome movie. Great chemistry between the leads. Had soooo many laughs because of the dialogue and it all felt so real. Really cool.

Hated seeing this in the theatre though. I saw the first two movies on the comfort of my own couch, without people in the cinema laughing at quips that weren't supposed to be funny. Guess they just didn't share how I saw the tone of the movie.

 

[killertofu]

I definitely felt like I sided with both people. There wasn't a good guy or a bad guy

 

[xenist]

This is the type of movie I dream of writing whenever I fancy myself a writer. God, I love those movies so much. And yeah,

Spoiler

Celine is quite nuts, but she was right about Jessie being passive aggressive and manipulative

.

 

[WascallyWabbit]

Watched the matinee of this in a theater with 6 people, 4 of which came alone (including myself) and they were all female except me. Not sure what that says about this movie haha

Anyways, really enjoyed the movie and think it's hilarious that in the reddit AMA that Julie Delpy says that Celine is:

much nicer than me. MUCH, much nicer than me. No, seriously, she's more normal...

That's a little frightening

 

[killertofu]

Watched the matinee of this in a theater with 6 people, 4 of which came alone (including myself) and they were all female except me. Not sure what that says about this movie haha




That's a little frightening

Yeah I was the only guy in my theatre...a few middle aged women, a few college girls.

I think I teared up more than anyone -___-

 

[Freyjadour]

Jesus christ this movie hit so close to home (like they always have).

Spoiler

The entire hotel room exchange was like deja vu. I have never seen such a raw capture of the frustrations of a relationship in jeopardy. The "both right and wrong" deadlock, the explosions of unrelated arguments from simple conversations, ebb and flow from subject to subject, agreement to argument, passion to depression.

Definitely the best of 2013 so far. A different take on realistic love in the same manner than Sunset differentiated itself from Sunrise. I can't wait to see it again, too many quotes to commit to memory.

 

[Stallion Free]

Saw it yesterday and loved it just as much as I love the last two. It fucking flew by because I thought they were only maybe an hour in when it was actually the start of the climax.

 

[inm8num2]

I need to see this!!! It doesn't look like it'll be at a theater near me anytime soon, though.

 

[distantmantra]

Saw Midnight over the weekend with my wife. Kinda crazy that when Before Sunset came out (which we saw on opening day), we had been dating for only a few months. Now we've been married for nearly seven years and have a 16-month old daughter.

Nothing specific, but I'm sure I'd piss off some spoiler-sensitive people, so it's blacked out.

Spoiler

Same basic set up as the previous films, but the tone was much different. But that's reality, they've been together now for nine years. The euphoric bubble of romance is gone, and now they're living in the real world and trying to make things work. We're all flawed people, and most of the time we don't want to acknowledge those flaws early on.

Also, the dinner scene could have easily been cut in half and it would've been just as effective.

 

[Tomcat]

Does this movie stands on its own or you have to have seen the other two?

 

[killertofu]

Does this movie stands on its own or you have to have seen the other two?

It definitely has more meaning when you count the last two films (and how long they are in the scale of things) but I think you can watch it without them.

 

[Bucket Mouse]

This is out on the 21st in the UK. Will go to the cinema alone to see it, loved the other two.

 

[xenist]

Does this movie stands on its own or you have to have seen the other two?

Plot is absolutely inconsequential for these films. The old "boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy meets girl again" literally covers the entire plot. That means you can go in blind. However I strongly advise you watch the previous ones. It pays off hugely.

 

[beat]

One minor thing they did with the second that they didn't do in the third was

Spoiler

cut in a clip or two from the previous film.

Arguably it was necessary in the second film and would have just been a stunt in the third, but it --

Spoiler

the accumulated years

-- hit you like a ton of bricks and I missed it even if it would have been unnecessary.

 

[vitaminwateryum]

Oh shit, I didn't realize this had already expanded so wide. Going to go see it tomorrow.

 

[ConsumerSquare]

Before Sunrise ended with a montage of shots of the places J&C had been. Before Sunset opened with a montage of the places J&C would be visiting. The montage in Midnight occurred after the wine was open, and either right before or right after Celine said

Spoiler

I don't love you anymore and stormed out

. Anybody remember which? An important moment, and I wish I had paid better attention.

I liked it. I'm not ready to rank it. My immediate impression prior to the walk to the hotel was that it was far too static (too much sitting), and the supporting cast was kind of boring.

The hotel was the most realistic argument I've ever seen in a movie. I've definitely been there. Kind of shocked by how far it went, though. I think this creative team deserves a lot of credit for not softening those scenes.

 

[killertofu]

Before Sunrise ended with a montage of shots of the places J&C had been. Before Sunset opened with a montage of the places J&C would be visiting. The montage in Midnight occurred after the wine was open, and either right before or right after Celine said

Spoiler

I don't love you anymore and stormed out

. Anybody remember which? An important moment, and I wish I had paid better attention.

I liked it. I'm not ready to rank it. My immediate impression prior to the walk to the hotel was that it was far too static (too much sitting), and the supporting cast was kind of boring.

The hotel was the most realistic argument I've ever seen in a movie. I've definitely been there. Kind of shocked by how far it went, though. I think this creative team deserves a lot of credit for not softening those scenes.

The

Spoiler

scenes with the supporting cast definitely dragged on a bit too much. All I kept thinking was "MOAR J+C, FUCK THOSE GUYS"

Edit: I caught it again after Man of Steel. Still amazing, though I left

Spoiler

when Jesse went to approach C at the end.

I guess I'm just masochistic

 

[gdt]

Wow wow wow. Best movie of the year indeed. I would put this in the middle with sunset being the best. The climax was probably the best part of the whole trilogy.

 

[Femmeworth]

I can't believe a few of you actually believe Celine acted crazy. -_- Guess Linklater should have been less subtle.

Saw it a little while ago, still chewing on it.

 

[Jimothy]

The more I think about it the more I realize I vastly prefer the first two movies to this one.

 

[ConsumerSquare]

I can't believe a few of you actually believe Celine acted crazy. -_-

Saw it a little while ago, still chewing on it.

She was crazy!

But justified in a lot of ways. Jesse is dope, but Celine made a solid case for her animosity toward him. Their story would have been too fairy tale-ish if it had played out any differently.

I fell in love with her when she did that general bit with the twins.

 

[POWERSPHERE]

I haven't watched any of these, but love Linklater. They look like goopy sentimental romance movies, is there more to them?

 

[OfWhiteSkinOnRedLeather]

I haven't watched any of these, but love Linklater. They look like goopy sentimental romance movies, is there more to them?

Absolutely. They aren't goopy sentimental romance movies at all.

The more I think about it the more I realize I vastly prefer the first two movies to this one.

Agreed. The first two just resonated with me so much more. Still loved the third though.

 

[Femmeworth]

I haven't watched any of these, but love Linklater. They look like goopy sentimental romance movies, is there more to them?

What are you doing? Go watch them now.

 

[OfWhiteSkinOnRedLeather]

What are you doing? Go watch them now.

And hurry up so you can still catch Midnight in theaters.

 

[POWERSPHERE]

Ok, watching the first one tonight with the lady.

 

[Jangaroo]

Ok, watching the first one tonight with the lady.

Get ready for some feels.