The romantic epic trilogy.

Presentation:

Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy are reunited in one of the most epic trilogies that happens to be romance. The films utilize a warm nostalgic bloom to encapsulate the romantic feeling of Europe, which adds romantic atmosphere. The film is presented basically as one continuous conversation with minimal cuts, giving the impression of realtime emotions, ebbs and stumbling and all with the aspect that time is always running out. Cuts are not frequent and cinematically locked on providing an immersive experience. All of three films have something different to offer, and the fact that they are presented in real time with real years apart with the same characters provide compelling continuity just like Boyhood.

Before Sunrise (1995):

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Absolutely magical. What makes this different than other romances is the dialogue. The reason the conversations feel organic is because they are. Hawke and Delpy co-wrote the script, so what we are witnessing are actual opinions. This isn't a romance movie, it's two people actually having conversations with some romantic performances. Lightning in the bottle, awkward teenage eye tag, this movie should leave you grinning ear to ear with glee. The dialogue is the best, awkwardly cringe at times, but it should be as they are teenagers. The experience never leaves you for a second and you are fully immersed in this feel good romance.

Before Sunset (2004):

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The best film of the three. Best cinematography, best script, not as charming dialogue but smarter and sharper. This one is super compelling as you’re wondering if they will get together. Where Before Sunrise was about romance, this one is about love. And it’s arguably the most universal because everyone should be fond of their first love. The first is more of a surreal dream whereas this one is a bit more realistic, representing the maturity of the two’s age. The chemistry between the two is natural and fluid, however I think Ethan Hawke's character asks too many questions and is a bit less charismatic than Delpy's character in Before Sunset. Our POV is the same as Hawke's since it is told in English, but the somewhat crude American perspective makes our perspective relatably boring here. I didn't find him as endearing as Delpy's character whom really steals the show. Once the two really start talking and getting frustrated, thats when things take off. The exact moment in the car where Delpy almost makes a move and her expression reveals the entire movie, it's very nuanced and special. And the ending, which is foreshadowed by the novel is also such a refined touch. The dialogue has a smooth cadence, a bit too perfect at the beginning, but toward the end it is absolutely engrossing. It is so good, you'll probably immediately want to watch Before Sunrise. This film is special in it's balance of cynicism and hopeless romanticism yet still making you want to fall in love. Very similar in tone to The Bridges of Madison County, however this one is much more rewarding. It's also arguably the most re-watchable. I think this is the most compelling of all three films, however the passion and dialogue is still not as magical as Before Sunrise.

Before Midnight (2013):

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Before Midnight is the worst film of the trilogy by design and least charming. Delpy is also a bit annoying with Hawke being more charismatic. The dialogue is too scripted, characters engage in too much meaninglessly prattle, it even feels as though no one is really listening to each other but rather rushing to spit out their lines. This is the biggest failure point as Delpy used to be the star but is now bitter and soul sucking, making their relationship hard to invest in. The film goes over the realistic aspects of marriage. The previous films showed that getting together is easy but this one demonstrates that staying together is hard. This film has the bickering and senseless fighting that does happen in real marriages. Ethan Hawke is defending himself the whole movie from the relentless verbal barrage from Delpy. Their behavior may be accurate for their age group, but it’s weird when she really is irrational and whining like a child, which is the exact behavior she complains about in previous films. It’s not a problem for this script to have a depressing realistic tone as marriages do have senseless arguments, but the way it is presented is unreasonable and out of character. To reach such a big argument over such little provocation is head-scratching and immediately puts you out of the experience. I didn't find Hawke to be particularly passive aggressive in the scenes and yet she was enraged to no end. The only way this would work is if Delpy was at least a little likable with any redeeming qualities in this one, but she doesn't. It's only forgivable if you can recall her charisma from previous films, but if this were a standalone film with no prequels no one would care. To even want to throw everything away and say their love is gone because of a passive aggressive "tantrum" is Kardashian level drama. I think other films like Blue Valentine and Lost Daughter execute these ideas significantly better. I’d almost recommend to not watch this unnecessary sequel, which is such a drastic tonal shift from the previous films it almost betrays the sensibilities the first two painstakingly built. I don't care if this film is realistic, you watched the first two films for their passion, this one undermines everything giving a burnt aftertaste. Fans will defend this one's fussy realism becaues of Delpy's admitted neuroticism. This is not a far-fetched argument, but the trigger is too forced and doesn't make sense for their relationship when Hawke ran away from a previous marriage for the same outcome. If the two can't graduate from an over-exaggerated quarrel, they shouldn't ever reach this point and it suggests that the previous love that conspired has been a disingenuous scam the whole time. You should really carefully reconsider watching Before Midnight, as the script ruins the magic with unreasonable arguments and an un-nuanced take on feminism. It's implied they stay together at the end of the film, which is foreshadowed in previous films where Delpy's parents would laugh after fights, just like in this one There's no problem in normalizing petty fights, but then the crime becomes that it overstates and dramaticizes the stakes devaluing any real emotions they ever had to begin with.

Conclusion:

A romance where you'll never want it to end, until it does in unrewarding fashion. The hallmark of these films is a test that has something for all romantics, cynical or optimistic. I think you can definitely watch Before Sunset first instead of chronological order. However you will surely watch the first film after you've finished part two. Unless they release a fourth film, I'd not watch the third film. The first two films are organic and immersive because we get to witness two people having genuine conversations but for the third the magic is lost because we’re watching two professionals acting. Before Sunset ends on a cliffhanger whereas Before Midnight ends on another, but the pessimism makes it so you don't care either way, maybe you don't even want them to be together anymore. I hate romances like this, you can be both realistic or cynical while staying true to the original tone, but this film didn't do that, largely due to stubborn perspectives from the writers. Overall, not completely ruined because the first two are very good.

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