Before Midnight

This is by far the most realistic and beautiful out of the trilogy. I find that this trilogy grows with you so it doesn’t worry me as much as impresses me that I find this the best and the most relatable of the trilogy. In Sunrise it’s this magical unreal world they step into getting to know each other you feel related to it as a teen or 20s you’re young and dumb falling in love. Then in Sunset everyone you know and built a connection with left because you were still playing fast and loose and now your life sucks because your aspirations didn’t come true or left.  This combined the grit and the magic between the two. I think the dialogue, colors and scenery have a lot to point to in this film. Not to mention the age and character profiles of whom everyone interacted with. The dialogue played in the memory storytelling but it’s shared memory while having that grit from sunset of the witty sometimes offensive and sexual humor. The colors are so dull but vibrant and well lit it’s like even if their life feels dull they’ll never escape the beauty. The choice of Greece was the most romantic its old its blue and intimate.  But especially the scenes I point out the most that take the cake in this film is the argument scene and the ending. The argument was the most realistic couples arguement ever (at least for couples who want to work it out, don’t be mad if the shoe fits) they’re both right and yet so wrong at the same time correcting each other, expanding nonsensically on small terms and words, blowing out of proportion’s and situations and ending the argument and coming back anyways. Not to mention their performance was riveting, the whole scene is riveting I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. I also like how Jesse revealed he cheated and how Celine, might have I’m not sure if she cheated. Because of the story by Linklater in an interview about how producers are always talking about not losing their audience but fail to ask when do the ever gain their audience. He thinks him exposing that Jesse cheated would be a gain for his audience and Linklater’s audience understands. As his audience I get it I would never cheat and I don’t condone it but I can empathize with Jesse and Celine on how life can give you rough patches your relationship can give you rough patches but besides all the things crashing down in your life they want to see over that, him revealing he cheated is opening up that he too understands how Celine feels about life. Not to mention their ending too it’s perfect that humor in his note showing the true effort for her and her playing along like they first met as a sign they want to make up and work it out is perfect chef’s kiss as well as being by the water like Sunrise. So many homages to Sunrise that was the cherry on top for me. But summarizing the end of the trilogy as the camera pulls out we see different relationships of different ages for different reasons for conversation. What best way to end of the trilogy of love relationships and generally the most cinematic meditation on growing old, maturity, and love than to show the ways and stages people are at in life all at once. Where they were and will be later on.