I picked this film up off of Netflix because it was on a top 10 list on Filmspotting.net for 2013. I actually had no idea what it was about or who was in it. After having watched it and after doing some research, I understand this is the third film in a series, the first two being “Before Sunset“, and “Before Sunrise“, all of which star both Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. This was mostly a film about stimulating conversation and maintaining a lengthy marriage between two people with complicated lives. I did think the writing was excellent and the acting was also top-notch. You actually easily believe that these two are married and are just having a natural conversation. It looked natural and there were scenes with long cuts.
The film did not have a satisfying conclusion, but rather ended with them making up a bit after a lengthy argument, presumably just “Before Midnight”. This is one of those types of films that require your constant attention. There is no action and barely any other sort of distractions. Given this, I would have to classify it as a chick flick, but it is not, in my opinion, one of the years top films. Still, I would recommend it to folk who enjoy more of a cerebral experience.
****
