THE DANMAN CAN

Before Midnight (2013) picks up nine years after  Before Sunset   (2004) (my review here ) and eighteen years since the "fateful" meeting in  Before Sunrise   (1995) (my review here ). This is what you call the "bummer" entry in the trilogy. It was a critical darling, but it's my least favorite of the series by a mile. Jesse and Celine now have children together (but aren't married) and the action takes place in Greece during the tail end of a family vacation. The realities of life have sunk in for this couple and they no longer have the spark that they once did.  Linklater 's direction is just as good as the other two Before films, and  Hawke  and  Delpy  once again give impassioned performances that feel true to life, but the writing feels a bit more forced and pretentious (particularly in the villa scenes). And while I certainly appreciate the realism, I have to say I am not a fan of who the characters have become by this outing, particul...

Before Sunset (2004) is Linklater 's briskly paced, breezy sequel to  Before Sunrise   (1995) (my review here ), where our leads meet again for the first time since their encounter nine years earlier. Hawke  and  Delpy  slide back into their roles with ease, partly because these are the actual nine year older versions of both the actors and characters, and partly because Jesse and Celine feel like extensions of Hawke and Delpy's actual selves. The story is transported from Vienna (in the first film) to Paris here and it's filled with more naturalistic conversations, as the pair catch up with each other's lives. While I didn't like it quite as much as its predecessor, Before Sunset  does a beautiful job of following up a beloved film with a worthy sequel in a way that feels fresh—again featuring a smile-inducing ending that leaves much to the imagination. You can find my  Richard Linklater Feature Films Ranked  list  here .

Well, I finally got around to watching Richard Linklater 's nearly universally beloved Before trilogy. And I have to say they truly are great films. In particular, the hopeless romantic in me connected most with the first film, Before Sunrise (1995).  Linklater, Hawke and Delpy  seemingly effortlessly capture the fantasy of a single night's worth of discovery, city roaming, and conversation between two strangers who take a chance on, and fall in love with, each other. What appears to be improvisation is actually incredibly rehearsed and cynicism is kept to a minimum. It's like  Roman Holiday   (1953) (my review here ) for Gen Xers minus the overt comedy and with more realism. Before Sunrise is a really wonderful film that tugs at the heartstrings without being saccharine, with a perfect ending. You can find my Richard Linklater Feature Films Ranked list here .