As Good As It Gets

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Worst movie ever. AVOID AT ALL COST! This is the most boring movie ever made.

We meet Jesse and Celine nine years on in Greece. Almost two decades have passed since their first meeting on that train bound for Vienna. The only reason why i'll give this movie a bit of credit it's definitely because it was filmed on Greece but also it was great seeing Xenia Kalogeropoulou in a small role but other than that the 2 main stars still are very uninteresting but this time there's at least a bit of connection unlike the first 2 horrible films. Before Midnight is no masterpiece but it's at least way better than the first and second one. (5/10)

Before Midnight is the third of three movies, shot about a decade apart each, starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy as lovers with a very push-pull dynamic. It's not necessary to see the first two movies to follow Before Midnight. The movie features long takes (sometimes not cutting for 10 minutes at a time) the story takes place over a day, and dialogue and naturalistic acting are paramount. There's a complexity to their characters and relationship that refuses to fully romanticize or demonize them. It's something of a realist romance in (deliberate) contrast the beautiful settings. Careful viewers will notice a handful of ironies that ground the romance in reality. I won't give examples here, or go into the details that keep me from giving this a 9 or 10 as many critics do. The movie is the proverbial breath of fresh air, though. I'd say that the main weakness of the movie stems from its strengths, in that when artists set out to make something so true to human nature (as opposed to fluffier rom coms or Nicholas Sparks movies) it's easy to hear the (few) false notes that are played. There are very few; and unless you're jonesing for a mere-nonsense 'entertainment' movie, this movie should appeal to practically anyone.

One of the initial shots of Before Midnight is not something that has been seen before in the trilogy; the camera swings around to reveal the family that we have been anticipating since 2004, twin daughters sleeping in the backseat. The camera had been mostly static previously, capturing the couple as they walked aimlessly and talked endlessly. The settings, Vienna and Paris, were beautiful and exotic, but they would have fallen in love in any city in the world. It does not look cinematic, and yet that initial shot at once conjures up so many questions of this new chapter of their lives. This time, they vacate in the southern Peloponnese and it is just as stunning, but there is nothing blissful about the experience, and the most riveting scene takes place in a shabby hotel room, where Linklater swaps the iconic medium two-shots that have been pervasive throughout the trilogy, unblinking in their long takes, with shot-reverse-shot, and cuts up the space between the couple as they argue. It is not until the final shot that Linklater really uses the setting, and we dolly back to unveil the shimmering ocean and gorgeous harbour-side twinkling in the night. There is another distinct break from tradition; whereas Sunrise and Sunset almost exclusively featured only Jesse and Celine, madly falling and re-falling in love, Midnight has a cast of other characters, and it is here that it slightly falters. For all the philosophical musing and long-winded anecdotes about love, they feel like ideas and conversations for our main characters, but instead of trimming sensibly, they have been reintroduced into the dialogue of others. It is easy, for example, to compare the wide-eyed, lovestruck experiences of the young couple to another young couple that met on a train all those years ago. And when Xenia Kalogeropoulou heartbreakingly reveals that she is forgetting the little things that her late husband used to do, and how it is like losing him all over again, it feels a lot like Celine's monologue in Sunset, where she ends with one single clear memory: the red in Jesse's beard. These feel less like fully realised supporting characters, and more like younger and older versions of Jesse and Celine. But returning to the pair reveals a deeper and more mature narrative yet. Sunset ended on a magnificent cliffhanger, but we all knew that the heartbreak of the missed opportunity was too great, and that they would not let another chance slip away. They have twin daughters. Celine's accent comes and goes but has noticeably faded. Jesse's novels are now famous enough to be recognised by Greek receptionists (and this creates probably one of the best and more subtle scenes of the movie, where Celine is visibly bothered by being placed in a little box and designated as a character in Jesse's life - I have no doubt that the Madeline version of Celine is fully realised, successful and happy - moreso than Celine anyway). When they rewind time and talk of that fateful train encounter all those years ago, it is startling how different they are now; Jesse hesitates just slightly when asked whether he would act the same way, and it is clear that Celine is no longer that radiant, carefree muse that caught his eye so long ago. And then there is perhaps the finest scene in the trilogy yet, which physically separates the pair within the frame and has them explode over each other's dialogue. There is so much raw emotion that spills from their mouths, but I think it is not overly vicious for the sake of hurting the other person. Like the back and forth pinball conversation in Vienna, it is defensive; they each attempt to explain their own perspective and their own feelings on juggling the various responsibilities of their chaotic lives. It is easy to write an argument and have two characters drown each other out in their anger, but in this case they pounce onto every word, broken promise, illogical leap and change of opinion, and throw it back into each other's faces, trying to gain an edge. Every phrase is twisted and extrapolated to its extreme, all except one; when Jesse confesses that he 'ruined his life' for her singing, it is such a clear opening for Celine to attack and tear down his arguments on how committed he is, but she relents, possibly because she thinks their relationship is still worth saving. He too, does not explode when she hangs those fatal words in the air and admits she does not love him anymore, because he is not so sure he is ready to believe it is over. The previous two films feel like daydreams compared to Midnight. A fresh-faced youthful Jesse described love as an unselfish, giving and beautiful thing. But it is clearly not as easy to say that when juggling such an emotionally painful predicament like their's. In the midst of their argument, there is a moment of such startling and brutal honesty. Celine confronts him with accusations of an affair from long ago (and I am sure that this is not the first time it has been brought up), and Jesse does not outright deny it, but adamantly reaffirms his love and commitment to her. It is so brilliant because we believe his lifelong commitment, but we also know that the affair has happened and has lingered over their relationship ever since. Infidelity is something that is so often treated as a comedic device in movies, but it is so easy to forget that it is a very real thing in many real life relationships. Here, we trust that their bond is strong enough to withstand such an affair, and move on from it. The red in his beard may have vanished long ago, but their love has matured and learned many lessons.