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Nice couple of films, but they both fall just short of making my top 25 ballot.
66. Before Midnight - I ended up watching all three Before films together, in the space of a couple of days, which is a really striking way to witness Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy age and change before our eyes. I'm only sorry I missed looking forward to each film after a considerable amount of time had passed. Nine years between the first two, and nine years between Before Sunset and this film - making it 18 years between the start of this project and Before Midnight. It's necessarily difficult to watch the two characters in this iteration go through the trouble that most marriages go through - in the first film there was the initial spark of love, and in the second the relationship is consummated, so as such we've yet to see these two in such conflict and it kind of stings. We've got so much invested in these two by now - and I was practically yelling at the screen for the two of them to knock it off and stop arguing over silly little things that don't matter. However, those of us who have been through it all will instantly recognize their own fights and problems in these two people, and hear themselves and their spouse through the words of Jesse and Céline. Will we one day get a fourth film when these two are in their old age? It's funny - but the way I experienced it, I take the three films as one entity and as such it's hard for me to say how much I like Before Midnight by itself. The trilogy though, is brilliant.
65. Gone Girl - Here's a film I've always been meaning to see again, and one that I kind of reserve my judgement of until I have done so. All the same, I enjoyed watching it when it came out and thought it was a good film. I don't know if I have a whole lot more to say about it except for the fact that it tries to hold all of it's cards close to it's chest, and throws a few obvious red herrings at us early on. Poor old Ben Affleck - when it comes time for vengeance we're struck by a very strange kind of ending which balances everything on edge and has us asking questions. I'm being deliberately vague, but assume anyone reading this has already seen Gone Girl. I thought the film had come in for some criticism in recent years, but by showing up at number 65 I've been shown here that a lot of people are sticking by it in a big way - and that's making me want to watch it again all the more. There must be more to this than mere mystery and reveals. A good come-back from Fincher after the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo letdown.
Seen 28/36
66. Before Midnight - I ended up watching all three Before films together, in the space of a couple of days, which is a really striking way to witness Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy age and change before our eyes. I'm only sorry I missed looking forward to each film after a considerable amount of time had passed. Nine years between the first two, and nine years between Before Sunset and this film - making it 18 years between the start of this project and Before Midnight. It's necessarily difficult to watch the two characters in this iteration go through the trouble that most marriages go through - in the first film there was the initial spark of love, and in the second the relationship is consummated, so as such we've yet to see these two in such conflict and it kind of stings. We've got so much invested in these two by now - and I was practically yelling at the screen for the two of them to knock it off and stop arguing over silly little things that don't matter. However, those of us who have been through it all will instantly recognize their own fights and problems in these two people, and hear themselves and their spouse through the words of Jesse and Céline. Will we one day get a fourth film when these two are in their old age? It's funny - but the way I experienced it, I take the three films as one entity and as such it's hard for me to say how much I like Before Midnight by itself. The trilogy though, is brilliant.
65. Gone Girl - Here's a film I've always been meaning to see again, and one that I kind of reserve my judgement of until I have done so. All the same, I enjoyed watching it when it came out and thought it was a good film. I don't know if I have a whole lot more to say about it except for the fact that it tries to hold all of it's cards close to it's chest, and throws a few obvious red herrings at us early on. Poor old Ben Affleck - when it comes time for vengeance we're struck by a very strange kind of ending which balances everything on edge and has us asking questions. I'm being deliberately vague, but assume anyone reading this has already seen Gone Girl. I thought the film had come in for some criticism in recent years, but by showing up at number 65 I've been shown here that a lot of people are sticking by it in a big way - and that's making me want to watch it again all the more. There must be more to this than mere mystery and reveals. A good come-back from Fincher after the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo letdown.
Seen 28/36
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