Surpasses the cinematic excellence of its predecessor. A rare delight.

Rating: 10/10 (29 September 2012)

This is quite an extraordinary movie. A single, long shot, running in real time, about life, love, regrets and hopes. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy take their characters and play with them in bittersweet ways - it's the only "romantic" movie where there's not a single kiss on screen, not a single touch, if I recall correctly; and still, it's so poignant, so melancholic, so sad, so brutal, so real... I can't think of any movie that can come close to the way this one portrays relationships.
Jessie and Celine are absolutely real - they are not characters, not actors, they are simply breathing, living persons. They have matured so much since the last time we saw together, and practically every question we as an audience had for them is answered. The way they both gently lead us towards an ending we are somewhat expecting, and then raising even more questions at the end than the first movie is simply brilliant.
I sincerely hope Before Midnight is as good as this movie. I'm sure Linklater, Delpy and Hawke will make it happen.
This is easily one of the best movies I've ever watched.