Simultaneously the darkest and funniest entry in Richard Linklater/Julie Delpy/Ethan Hawke's (henceforth "LDH" or "the filmmakers") "Before" series, Before Midnight finds our heroes in a different world from the one of Before Sunset. Others - like Jesse's (Hawke) teenage son and the couple's daughters - have entered the picture and the couple can no longer wax philosophical for hours on end. The couple's conversations - which previously encompassed a wide range of issues - all seem to return to the issue of mortality. The new responsibilities and weight of aging might make Before Midnight a monotonous or purely depressing film, but it's a testament to the filmmakers' talents that they can tackle heavy material while still keeping us emotionally engaged and entertained.
In this more complex world, Jesse and Celine (Delpy) have themselves become more complicated. Their contradictions* and awareness of expectations are still deeply a part of them, but they've also taken on other roles. Jesse has the guilt of an absentee parent, while Celine has a fierce loyalty towards their daughters (and seems to worry about Jesse sacrificing his relationship with them to spend more time with his son). Hawke and Delpy again find a balance between the characters' flaws and charms, wonderfully expressing the many lives of Jesse and Celine. As Celine, Delpy especially seems to time shift throughout the film. Sometimes she looks 22 again, but at other times she has the worn visage of a much older woman. It doesn't quite make sense how she can do that (apart from being a superb actress), but it lends credence to the idea that 2013 Jesse and Celine are both the same people they were 18 years ago and radically different adults. It's not just that the two are older and wiser or jaded by experience. The film doesn't simplify their development, but eloquently explores the strange and unpredictable evolution brought about by aging.