Broken Flowers (2005)

Comic drama directed by Jim Jarmusch.

Don Johnston (played by Bill Murray and with a name that gets him deliberately confused with the Miami Vice actor) is a lonely, retired man who used to work in computers. On the day that his girlfriend Sherry (Julie Delpy) leaves him, he receives an anonymous letter that tells him he has a 19-year-old son. With the help of his neighbour Winston (Jeffrey Wright), a fan of detective stories, he sets off on an investigative trip to meet four women who might have been the mother of the child he never knew he had. 

The bulk of the film deals with these four encounters, which meet with varying degrees of success. One of the former lovers (Sharon Stone) spends the night with him. Another (Tilda Swinton) gets him beaten up. All of these four women (​​Frances Conroy and Jessica Lange play the other two parts) are convincingly portrayed.

It could have been funnier. Some of the deliberately “low-key”, contemplative scenes just fall flat, even though that’s probably the point. The detective aspect is a bit silly, which undercuts some of the power of the serious relationship material. And while I appreciate that it was deliberately left ambiguous, the final “twist” at the very end is an in-joke that slightly spoils the open-ended conclusion.  

It’s ultimately a third-rate Lost in Translation, but without as much originality, dry wit or warmth.

Before Midnight (2013)

The third in Richard Linklater’s masterful trilogy, following Before Sunrise and Before Sunset. Celine and Jesse are nine years older and wiser: now a couple with twins, they are on holiday at a Greek villa. Jesse has just reluctantly sent the child from his previous marriage back to his mother in the USA and this – plus the looming end of the holiday – brings on contemplation of life, family, love and mortality.

Unlike in the first two films, we get to see the couple in a group setting: for one extended scene – an evening meal with friends at the villa – we witness their “public” behaviour. It’s a clever way to reveal a different side to the couple.

But the real emotional centre of the film comes when the couple share one night alone at a local hotel. The anticipated night of passion and freedom soon takes a less romantic turn as they are forced to face up to the fact that the passing years have allowed resentments to build up while life decisions were being made. It’s to the great credit of Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke that they make it as real as possible and it’s remarkable how convincing their chemistry has become, whether it’s during their moments of intimacy or the argument that follows.

It’s fascinating being able to revisit this couple every nine years, but I am left hoping that there won't be further instalments. This trilogy is so perfectly judged and it now feels complete.

Before Sunset (2004)

Every bit as charming as Before Sunrise, if not more so, this sequel picks up the story of Jesse and Céline nine years later. They meet in Paris and discuss their personal situations and what’s happened to them since that life-changing encounter in Vienna. And they slowly reveal how they feel about each other as they grapple with how their past may inform their future.

I loved the long, single-take scenes as they wander in Paris, and also the fact that the film appears to take place in real time.

Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke both seem to give richer performances than in the first film. They are so natural in the roles that you wonder if they are even acting.

The romantic and touching ending, with Céline singing one of her songs and offering an extended Nina Simone impression, is an absolute delight.

Before Sunrise (1995)

Young American man (Ethan Hawke) meets young French woman (Julie Delpy) on a train while they are both travelling in Europe. Mutually attracted, they spontaneously agree to leave the train at Vienna and spend a day together. The film details what happens next, mainly via their touchingly earnest conversations as they wander around the city, getting to know each other, encountering various walk-on characters and beginning to fall in love.

I really like Richard Linklater’s long takes, which feel semi-improvised – particularly the one in which the couple take turns playing pinball while talking, switching places each time they lose a game. This scene would have been different every time the actors ran through it, so you get a feeling that it’s special.

There’s something refreshingly different about the pacing and the convincingly “real” dialogue. And it’s very romantic. It’s enchanting to see how young and idealistic they are.

Two sequels would follow: Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013).