BEFORE MIDNIGHT
US, 2013.
Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy.
Directed by Richard Linklater.
The ‘Before’ in the title of this film alerts film buffs that this is the third in a series, Before Sunset, 1995, Before Sunrise, 2004, and now Before Midnight.
Audiences first met Jesse and Celine, he American and she French, in 1995 during a train trip over night on the continent. They talked and talked, a 23 year old man and a younger woman - all kinds of topics. It was a fresh and engaging film (or very irritating to many who tire of talk on screen).
Jesse had written a book based on their meeting, has married, had a son. In 2004, Celine set out to find Jesse because of the book and her being part of it.
They met again, they talked, discussed their relationship, his marriage. They married.
It is now 2013. Jesse is very conscious that he is 41, pondering it, feeling it. He has now written three books and is something of a celebrity. Jesse and Celine have twin daughters. At the opening of the film, Jesse farewells his son back to the U.S. and his mother, yet wanting to be a stronger part of his son’s teenage years.
And, of course, this time, they talk and talk, although the screenplay, a collaboration between the stars and director Richard Linklater, provides some attractive settings for the talk. The first is during the car ride back to the holiday house they are staying in for the summer, hosted by a noted author, plaued by veteran cinematographer, Walter Lassally. We learn a lot during this long single-take drive about the previous eight years. Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke are quite adept by now at bringing their characters to life. He is much more laid-back, male preoccupations. She is more tense, both very rational and very emotional. She is conscious of her need for a worthwhile job, wary of going to Chicago for Jesse’s sake, as well as experiencing the pressures of being a mother and of twins.
At the holiday house, there are some more conversations, Jesse discussing novels with the famous author, Celine helping in the kitchen and talking with the wife of one of the guests. There is a long entertaining sequence at the table. Once again a wide range of topics, especially about love, marriage, commitment, identity as well as some frank sex talk. The whole scene is well-written, lively and well-edited and paced.
There are two other major strong conversation sequences, one a walk through the town, the other in a tourist hotel where they have been given a holiday night. These are the two very personal discussions between Jesse and Celine, taking up all the issues so far with quite some passion, even to the point where they could break up. They analyse each other’s character, can be hard-hitting on faults and irritations (especially Celine). While there is some reconciliation, the arguments they engage in probably throw quite a bit of light on the tensions in marriages.
Bittersweet is definitely a word for Richard Linklater’s conclusion to his trilogy.
1. The trilogy? Jesse and Celine over 18 years? The age of 23 to 41? Experience? Change?
2. Audience knowledge of the two previous films? Expectations, interest, cast? The journey and the recapitulation?
3. The cast and the director collaborating with the screenplay, knowing characters intimately, the exploration, strengths, flaws, irritation and anger, happiness and joy? The mixture of situations? The resolution?
4. Greece, beauty, the sea, the beaches, mountains, the town, the ruins? Musical score?
5. Jesse at the airport, his son, hanks age, buying things, his relationship with his father, Jesse’s awkwardness, sending him home to his mother, Hank’s saying it was the best summer holiday?
6. The Jesse – Hank situation, the absent father, his feeling the need to be present to his son, at this age, baseball etc? The prospect of moving to Chicago? Yet Jesse missing Hank’s earlier years?
7. His marriage to Celine? The twins? The opening drive, the single-take, its length, the conversation between the two, the twins asleep in the back of the car? The range of discussion, improvising, issue of Chicago and Hank, and Hank phoning Celine, the drinking ex-wife, the years passing, Celine and her job, the wind turbines, getting a new job? Yes or no? The decision-making? Jesse and laid-back, Celine intensity? What did they reveal about their relationship?
8. Jesse, the discussion with Stefan, with Patrick? Issues of novels, characters, plausibility, Celine as the basis for Jesse’s first novels? The merits of his writing, the translations? Speculation, the novel and deja vu and different characters and situations?
9. Celine, the kitchen, with Stefan’s wife, women’s talk?
10. Patrick, his age, experience, literature, as host? Genial talk? Stefan and his wife, as characters, the gift of the hotel night? The two young people, the grandson and his girlfriend, coming home, enjoying the meal?
11. The meal, the elderly lady, the nature of the group, the range of discussions, the way it was filmed and edited, relationships, identity, being alone, two making an identity? The language of relationships? The background of Greece, holidays, the children playing, Hank and his having a girlfriend?
12. The long walk in the town, the range of scenery in the street, old, ruins, the new? The topics? The revelation of character?
13. The hotel, the comfortable room, the different reactions? The strong arguments, the set-up? Issues of Chicago, the new job for Celine, love, issues of infidelity? Jesse saying that he is sole love was for Celine? Who was reasonable, who was emotional? Both? Celine and her dominance? Being hurt? Jesse being polite, frank, being hurt?
14. Celine leaving the room, Jesse, his reaction, waiting, Celine alone at the table, Jesse playing the game, his introduction? The tension, the possibility of break-up? Their being together? The mutual love, mutual understanding? Their future?
