Thoughts I had while staring at the first official photo from "Before Midnight"
Thursday, September 6, 2012 at 10:30PM 
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!! !!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!
I realize now that that was more singular. "Thought I had" ...whilst drooling. (An exclamation point is so a thought. At least the way I do it.)
In all seriousness, my only wish is that that wondrous trio of soulful romantillectual conversation (Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy and Richard Linklater) do not drop this ball. Please do not drop this fragile perfect ball.
(As to the sordid topic of Oscar, will the third time be the charm? They did give the last one a Screenplay nomination.)
Reader Comments (26)
I'm two minds about this.
On one hand, Before Sunset had one of the greatest ambiguous endings I've ever seen, and I really liked it that way.
On the other hand...well, you kinda already covered it with your elaborate thought process. That was QUITE the nice surprise to wake up to yesterday.
Which Before films is your favorite, Nat? This is just one of those great American divides: Democrat or Republican, Spielberg or Scorsese, Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly, etc. I always lean Before Sunset, I prefer it's older, adult, cynical bent, and it's just as captivating without all the fantastical distractions of Sunrise(the poor poet, fortune teller lady, etc). It's just these two, and the gulf of time that's passed between their last meeting.
I can see the best picture, best screenplay, best actor, best actress movie.
Can't wait can't wait can't wait.
Oscar unimportant.
I have 100% faith that it will be at least 80% as good as the first two, and I am fine with that.
Pretty much my exact same thought when I saw this picture/heard this news except for a big blank space in the middle when I fainted from pure ecstasy..
I don't worry too much about them dropping the ball. My attitude is too many films are held back by inhibitions (marketability, actors afraid to reveal themselves, expectations), and fear of not living up to the first two is why a lot of third films are underwhelming. Certainly the last Batman, which was way more uptight than the Heath Ledger one.
So I say, don't be afraid to drop the ball. We can all pretend it doesn't exist if it truly sucks.
And, to answer Jeremy, I too prefer Sunset.
Christmas has obviously come early, and apparently we've all been very good. Can't wait to see what these three have concocted. I honestly don't care if it's great or not, because I'm sure it will be interesting either way.
Before Sunset is still my favorite film of all time. I can't believe this is in the can. My heart is soaring.
omfg
I can't pick a favorite because I see both movies as companion pieces. One cannot exist without the other. I think Before Sunset has retroactively made Before Sunrise an even better movie (something very few sequels manage to do to their original counterparts), and I believe this third movie could do the same to the first two. Because these films are about growing up, about experiencing life and how that affects the way people view life, love and everything in-between, they will always be fascinating films to explore. We met them at 23, they had one view of life. Again at 32, they were in completely different places. Where will they be now that they're 40?
Never saw the previous films I have to finish the Colors trilogy first.
I agree with your Richter, on the films being companion pieces, and Sunset actually makes Sunrise BETTER by existing. They are two halves of the same story, and now changing to 2 acts in a 3-act story. I'm hoping for the best!
At the same time that this makes me EXTREMELY nervous, I feel confident that these three would never make this unless they thought they had something interesting and wonderful to say. That being said, the big questions is whether we the audience will agree that it is interesting and wonderful.
Oh, and my actual first thought on seeing this picture yesterday? GOD, Ethan Hawke looks like SHIT!
I'm not worried about this failing. This is based on how much I love the first two and I can't see them screwing up a third too badly. It's also based on the idea that, you know what, sometimes we shouldn't "revisit the well" when it comes to relationships either. Especially relationships that spring from youthful meetings and are only rekindled every so often - you can never quite live up to the memories.
Of course, the second film is actually a better film than the first - though I agree Sunset makes Sunrise even better. So I'm not so concerned about the third being even better, it could hardly be. But even if it doesn't quite live up to the first two, sometimes that's life - and we learn to live with disappointments. Besides, they have nine years in between each film - it's not like its a franchise that's being cranked out every two years. Nine years of inspiration.
Dying to see this , best, news, ever.
I've never been scared for a movie. Before Sunset is my favorite movie and ended so 100% perfectly. How you follow that up...no clue.
This brought happiness to my life!
my heart is so happy for this :D :D :D :D
i don't care if this gets oscar nominations, tbh.
I'm confident that this will be great. I feel that Richard Linklater is terribly underrated as a writer/director as his films are almost always interesting. However, this doesn't strike me as the type of film that Oscar goes for (the previous sole nomination notwithstanding); not historical/bio-picy enough.
PS. I agree with the majority here that Before Sunset is the superior film. Ethan Hawke's character smiling and laughing nervously whilst rubbing his wedding ring as Julie Delpy's character dances is such a terrifically ambiguous ending; that scene has been branded into my memory, I can still recall it vividly even though it's been years since I've last seen it.
Marsha's post made me smile..."We can all pretend it doesn't exist if it truly sucks."
Great! And perfect logic.
I had no idea this was even happening! I love both films. Can't wait.
Baited breath on account of the amazing last scene in Before Sunset alone, which is quite possibly the most perfect, bittersweet romantic ending this side of Manhattan (give or take Last Night).
I trust Richard Linklater implicitly. I'm sure this is going to be fantastic. The Hobbit on the other hand...now that I'm worried about.
Julie Delpy should have won best actress last time. Now I want justice.
I, too, love these films. I can't imagine this won't be a great addition to the series. Richard Linklater has had 8 years to figure out where the story goes, and it's not as if Hawke or Delpy can't play those roles.
It's intriguing that they've filmed it in Greece, rather than Paris.
omg this made my day. I can't believe I just barely saw this.
Two of the most romantic films ever made. I don't think the three of them would make another one if they didn't have an idea as good as the first two. This will be the movie I'm most looking forward to next year. Can't wait!