Review of Before Midnight (2013) by Nikolayg — 22 Jun 2013

I discuss the movie but give away no plot elements.

Everyone has their favorite in this trilogy, but I'm not sure if I prefer this to the second one (my favorite until now) or not. This third installment is surely more dramatic and closer to a 'regular movie.' There's lots of walking and talking (and driving and talking) in long long long takes, which I love, but there are also quite a few other characters in an earlier scene, which I enjoyed, and quite a fight between the two main characters, which I enjoyed, but which also made the film feel a little less of a piece with the prior two. I'm just mentioning qualities, not saying they were better or worse.

But I have criticism. The film ends too abruptly. The previous film ended abruptly, but it was perfect as it marked a huge turning point. This fim ended merely in the eye of the storm, not at a truly significant moment. They created a bigger movie than they had space for, and one that didn't fit the walking/talking near real-time conceit of the series. But rather than follow through on that very different film, giving it what it needed on its own terms, they merely cut it short to keep in step with the series' style. Not satisfying for me. I just got hints of the movie they restrained themselves from actually making.

Also, in Before Sunrise the two had just met; in Before Sunset they saw each other for the first time since that one-day affair in Before Sunrise. BUT in this film they've been together steadily for nine years and yet it doesn't feel that way. Yes there's the ex-wife and his son. But it didn't feel authentic. It felt put on. Either the writing didn't get at it well, or the acting didn't bring it across, or a little of both. I've been with my wife for one year, and I could make a gesture or utter a phrase that would have no meaning for anyone else, but she would know exactly what that phrase or gesture was about, and respond accordingly. There was none of that in this movie. Everything, including all the stuff going to the history of the past 9 years with this couple, was spelled out too much. When you do that the audience understands, but does not believe. You lose authenticity.

I've seen this done well in films. A gesture or suggestion or word, evokes a response that the audience does not comprehend in granular literal detail, but they get the KIND of thing that's going on. That he has struck a nerve going to some past indiscretion of hers. Or she has said a key word that brings on an old guilt trip he's had laid on him by her time and again. When it is not all spelled out in expository fashion, but we get the gist, that works better. It feels more real. The first two movies did not have to handle this issue because the couple had no history that we had not seen on screen. This one should have handled the issue, but it didn't. So my suspension of disbelief was not quite as complete. Granted this is a nitpicky detail, but it can mark the difference between a good movie or good actor, and great movie or great actor. This film fell squarely on the "good" side of the fence, not the "great" partly for this reason.

My other criticism goes to the sex. Yes sex. I have nothing against sex scenes normally. Angelina Jolie and Mr. Bandares in the DVD version (not the screen version) of that movie where she plays a mail order bride, naked and grinding explicitly on the bed while the camera watches from above? Go to it, I say! But this movie is very different and it did not work. The two are going to have a fight so, I imagine in order to make the fight seem like a bigger change and more dramatic, they put the two into a very cozy romantic situation just before the fight. And that situation involves Ethan sucking on Julie's breasts, her nipples. Not suggested or simulated but Mr. Hawke gets down and dirty right in front of your face, sucking, pulling, and basically giving any infant in the audience a tutorial on basic survival skills.

This failed to generate that cozy warm feeling of intimacy for me as a viewer. Instead it made me feel uncomfortable, as if I was getting TMI and was a third wheel in the room and should leave them alone. So I'm sitting their squirming and clearing my throat (hoping they'll notice I'm there and stop) rather than feeling the warm cozy intimacy they are feeling. I just kept thinking, these two actors are friends in real life, good friends but still, they are just friends. Which makes this sooooo awkward. And they're continuing to have their chatty chat while this is going on! Which almost makes it hilarious if it wasn't so weird!

All of this said, I enjoyed the film. It's darker, much more so than than the previous two. It's also a slighter film where a more involved film was called for. But what was on the screen (sans nipple sucking) though it was not enough I did enjoy.