Chick flick. The term comes with some bad connotations and strikes fear into the hearts of boyfriends the world over. I know that I am not a fan of most of these movies, only because they tend to be as flat and predictable as a scratch and sniff book.
There are some exceptions to this, Before Midnight is one of them. This is the third film that centers around two characters, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy). Before Sunrise [1995] shows how they first meet and fall in love as they stroll around the streets of Vienna. The second film, Before Sunset [2004] reunites these characters years later under circumstances that create a blend of love and loss. Before Midnight is a bold and beautiful film that shows what a real long term relationship is all about. We get to see this couple nine years later while they are both on vacation at Greece. Are these two love birds happy? Yes and no, because this movie is like real life, things are complicated. They have twin daughters and Jesse is divorced but this couple is still dealing with the consequences. Each of them have their own responsibilities and jealousies.
What makes these three films unique is that this is a patient franchise. These movies are made almost a decade apart from each other, the characters mature at the same rate as the actors who portray them. This is a far cry from the shotgun fantasy franchises that they film at the same time just to make more money. Just as important is the fact that Hawke and Delpy share screenwriting credit with the filmmaker, Richard Linklater. It comes as no surprise that these actors give amazing performances as these two characters which they have co-authored. They chose Greece as the setting before they wrote the script which shows in how effectively they use each location.
One thing that separates Before Midnight from the two earlier films was the amount of time we see this couple interacting with other people. The diner scene for example surrounds Celine and Jesse with people that remind them of where they used to be as a couple and informs them about what may lie ahead. If you want to see what good writing and acting looks like, this diner scene is it.
Before Midnight lets me recommend one of these so called chick flicks. So curl up with your loved one, or your pillow if you have to and watch this film trilogy.
- Curt Wiser is the Author of the suspense novel Box Cutter Killer and the Writer-Director of the feature film Cam-Girl.
Before Midnight on IMDB.
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