Before Midnight

Almost 20 years have past since we first met Jesse and Celine as they caught a train to Vienna. We now catch up with them on a holiday in Greece.
Films are a visual medium and so that characters should advance the plot through action and not just talking. However there are some films with such great dialogue that you don't mind that nothing happens action wise. As a script writer the one aspect of writing that I have trouble with is writing interesting dialogue. So I am a fan of movies that feature great dialogue so predominantly. That is very much the case with this 'Before' trilogy. The films mostly consist of two people just walking around talking about life and love. Jesse and Celine are such brilliantly created characters that you enjoy spending time with them. On their surface their lives have changed as they are now married with twin girls. But they are still insecure about love. This might not seem like they have changed over time but I think it makes them feels more real. People are not always so secure about their relationships and they have problems. It helps that they are great at throwing in some hilariously witty lines as they discuss things. The film also adds some extra characters this time around to help add an extra perspective on things. Director Richard Linklater also manages to make the conversations interesting by his use of camera moves. They couple are usually on the move as they talk. There are also scenes where camera angles and the blocking are used to show at what stage their relationship is in. This is one couple that you really have come to care about over the coarse of three films. 
This trilogy is by far and away the best thing that both Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. They work so incredibly well together. You would think that they are a real life couple. Their chemistry is so strong. Jesse is the more affable of the two and Ethan plays him with a great deal of easy-going charm. On the other hand Celine is very neurotic and looking for problems in the smallest of details. Julie is definitely great at doing that. I suppose it is great that we have a couple who communicate their problems and do not bottle them up.
Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy prove that you can make a brilliant romantic/comedy trilogy. It is very rare where each film in the series is so great.