For two whole hours, nothing happens in this movie. It is full of completely pseudo intellectual conversation that doesn't lead anywhere. Don't be like me and waste your time on this movie.

The first was a classic, the second slingshot you at times into an altered, nostalgic state (despite Ethan Hawke acting even younger than in the first movie). The third, trying to keep in the spirit of the others, had missed the mark over longer stretches. What struck me most was the writers very transparent over-worship of sex, which becomes a concept in the movie in its own right.'We're fairly liberal and sex is not a big deal. Certainly nothing to be ashamed of, look at us, we're refreshingly post-modern so I will go out of my way repeatedly to portray this point either directly or by clear undertones'. With an annoyingly relentless agenda, people unknowingly make sex such a huge deal. The humour in this regard was also rather predictable. The overall flow of conversation by the characters in the movie though, was witty. Yet we unfortunately did not experience an evolution and blossoming of Jesse and Celine's conversations, but rather a return to moments that they built their connection on in the first movie; I would've imagined there to be a high frequency of idiosyncratic shades to the way they communicated and related with one another.

I actually managed to watch this, but after, I felt that I had wasted a piece of my life. Nothing happens in the entire film. It is just a bunch of people jabbering away. There is an absolutely interminable section which is merely a conversation taking place between two adults in the front of a car, while two young girls sleep in the back. It goes on and on and on and on ... much like this review. It's impossible for me to imagine who this movie is for. I got it for my wife because she understands emotions and people and so on whereas I mainly understand science and engineering and rockets and stuff. But my wife had a hard time with it as well. I can definitively say, if you're a man, this movie is not for you, unless you also want to waste a piece of your life. For masochists only.

Two decades after Richard Linklater's beguiling 1995 romance Before Sunrise and nine years after 2004's equally charming Before Sunset, Ethan Hawke's American writer Jesse and Julie Delpy's French environmentalist Celine are back together in Before Midnight and they are still captivating company for anyone who fell for them during their previous strolls. Now, though, they are no longer footloose bohemians but parents of angelic twin daughters, on the cusp of middle age and facing the issue most movies ignore: how to keep love alive in a long-term relationship.If your idea of a good romance is one that climaxes with a last-minute dash to the airport, then Before Midnight probably won't turn you on. The film begins at an airport - as Jesse says goodbye to his teenage son - and what ensues during the following hundred minutes is deceptively casual - the couple's chatter seemingly improvised but actually carefully scripted by the supremely talented Linklater and put on screen with subtle craft.The movie is basically a three-act play, where the first act has an extraordinary set of single takes in a car ride that features talk of children, careers, and most importantly, aging apples. Up next is an idyllic Peloponnese villa, where Jesse and Celine are stationed with a host of friends. With all of them together, especially at a dinner that I didn't want to end, we hear about different aspects of love. Then comes the final act, where Jesse and Celine are left alone as they go on an evening stroll through the Greek ruins and stone streets to a posh hotel for a romantic night alone. Taking on the familiar walk 'n talk style of the previous films, we're initially brought at ease as the two simply ramble on together about anything and everything, playful and challenging in equal measure. But upon arriving at their room for what should have been an amorous night, a simple phone call is the impetus for what is a nasty, brutal argument that sees them ripping one another to shreds on just about every level. Misunderstandings, neuroses, and pent up frustrations snowball, all but shattering the fairy tale myth of the first two films, as their intimate confidences curdles into acrimony.But if you have been with Jesse and Celine through the slips and stumbles of their romantic journey, then their long, flowing, deceptively gripping conversations ripple with the realities of life. Jesse and Celine, clearly so comfortable in their characters' skin, indulge in intelligent banter, swapping Woody Allen-esque one-liners - nicely snarky, appealingly abrasive. It's been another nine years between films, and if so much has changed in the meantime, the unparalleled chemistry between Hawke and Delpy hasn't slipped even a little. They may be older, a bit wiser, and certainly more wrinkled, but their performances are nothing less than natural throughout. Witnessing their ageing, nagging, toying love on screen is a true privilege.Before Midnight is like an old friend who has grown sharper and saltier with life; and for students of cinema, the film is a master-class in the portrayal of human nature. It's one of the most convincing and charming representations of long-term coupledom you'll ever see - a literary as well as cinematic achievement to cherish!