We catch up with Celine and Jesse as they are summering in the Mani at the villa of Patrick, a distinguished British ex-pat author, who has invited Jesse, now a modestly successful author tentatively working on his fourth book. With some reluctance, Celine agrees to the vacation, leaving her non-profit job in Paris, and bringing along Celine and Jesse's twin girls. Also reluctantly agreeing to the vacation is Hank, Jesse's son from a disastrous early marriage; when dropped off at the airport to return to his mother in Chicago, Hank confesses that he has had the best summer of his life. The setting is idyllic: great scenery, great food, and interesting people. Jesse and Celine are treated to a night away from the twins, in a rather anti-septic hotel; allowed space away from work, parenting, and social obligations, they explore their relationship, and open all the wounds that have scabbed over in the course of the past decade. Both sides of the film, the sunny side and the dark night side, make for riveting viewing. It might help to have seen the previous two films in the series (although, to be honest, I always confuse them with the "2 Days in..." films), but you can probably extrapolate them from what you see on the screen.
Review of Before Midnight
