Review of Before Midnight

Atmospheric and moody, this B murder mystery grabs the viewer from the very start where a crash of lightning and rush to the window hides the fact that somebody has just been shot and killed. Ingeniously, the victim had expressed to detective Ralph Bellamy that they felt that their moments alive were numbered, so this sets up a whole different style of murder mystery, especially when the victim's identity is revealed and another possible victim is introduced. It is complex, but not convoluted, and you won't need a road map to remember all of the suspects, red herrings or clues which come your way. Bellamy is commanding as always, and the wonderful Claude Gillingwater gives a terrific performance as the man who reveals that he might be the next one to get bumped off. The ending is chilling with the killer aware of their potential capture and given the easy way out with Bellamy standing by. The photography, editing and technical aspects of the film are sensational. A great supporting cast includes the always slimy Bradley Page as the dead man's lawyer and June Collyer and Betty Blythe vulnerable and scared in the female roles.