Below are a few critiques written about The Before Trilogy with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy by director Richard Linklater.
Before Sunrise (1995)
“A sexual attraction is obviously present between them, and Linklater handles it gently, with patience. There is a wonderful scene in the listening booth of a music store, where each one looks at the other, and then looks away, so as not to be caught. The way they do this–the timing, the slight embarrassment–is delicate and true to life.” — Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
“What’s commendable about Linklater’s approach here is the real-time, in-depth aspect of portraying a burgeoning relationship. Instead of superficial short scenes or evasive montages, the director creates a pretty full sense of what it’s like to spend hours with another person. The downside comes in the dramatic area. There is no conflict keeping them apart, no obstacles to be overcome, no tension to the relationship.” — Todd McCarthy, Variety
Before Sunset (2004)
“What they are really discussing, as they trade these kinds of details, is the possibility that they missed a lifetime they were intended to spent together. Jesse eventually confesses that he wrote his book and came to Paris for a book signing because that was the only way he could think of to find her again. A little later, in a subtle moment of body language, she reaches out to touch him and then pulls back her hand before he sees it.” — Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
“The movie is an O. Henry-like conceit—the slenderness of the initial premise is part of the charm–but the anecdote becomes almost momentous as it goes on, and the fluidity of Linklater’s technique, which brings the streets, the gardens, the Seine, and the Paris light into Jesse’s decision–all of them working against his obligation to go home–allows the dramatic issue to play out freely. There’s nothing predetermined about what happens. It could go either way.” — David Denby, The New Yorker
Before Midnight (2013)
“As it happens in every relationship that’s endured for years, Celine and Jesse have accumulated countless shared memories, hurts and fights. They can instantly recognize the subtext of the most trivial comments made to each other, and use their knowledge of one another to fan a spark of hostility into a bonfire. A single remark made to appease one partner could accidentally awaken resentments that were assumed dead or forgotten.” — Pablo Villaça
“The unhappiness Celine and Jesse are working through isn’t what love becomes; it’s part of what it is. For now, in the place where our hopes and dreams for fictional characters nestle uncomfortably next to our own disappointments, they’re still together. That’s more than good enough.” — Stephanie Zacharek, The Village Voice
[photo via QuotesGram]