856-859 The Before Trilogy

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swo17
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856-859 The Before Trilogy

#1 Post by swo17 » Fri Sep 28, 2012 7:24 am

The Before Trilogy

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The cornerstone of the career-long exploration of cinematic time by director Richard Linklater, this celebrated three-part romance captures a relationship as it begins, begins again, deepens, strains, and settles over the course of almost two decades. Chronicling the love of Celine (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke), from their first meeting as idealistic twentysomethings to the disillusionment they face together in middle age, The Before Trilogy also serves as a document of a boundary-pushing and extraordinarily intimate collaboration between director and actors, as Delpy and Hawke, who cowrote two of the films, imbue their characters with a sense of raw, lived-in experience, and as they age on-screen along with them. Attuned to the sweeping grandeur of time's passage as well as the evanescence of individual moments, the Before films chart the progress of romantic destiny as it navigates the vicissitudes of ordinary life.

Before Sunrise

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An exquisitely understated ode to the thrill of romantic possibility, the inaugural installment of The Before Trilogy opens with a chance encounter between two solitary young strangers. After they hit it off on a train bound for Vienna, the Paris university student Celine and the scrappy American tourist Jesse impulsively decide to spend a day together before he returns to the U.S. the next morning. As the pair roam the streets of the stately city, Linklater's tenderly observant gaze captures the uncertainty and intoxication of young love, from the first awkward stirrings of attraction to the hopeful promise that Celine and Jesse make upon their inevitable parting.

Before Sunset

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In the breathtaking follow-up to Before Sunrise, Celine tracks down Jesse, now a newly minted author, at the tail end of his book tour in Paris, with only a few hours left before his flight back home to the States. Meeting almost a decade after their short-lived romance in Vienna, the pair find their chemistry rekindled by increasingly candid exchanges about professional setbacks, marital disappointments, and the compromises of adulthood. Impelled by an urgent sense of the transience of human connection, Before Sunset remains Linklater's most seductive experiment with time's inexorable passage and the way love can seem to stop it in its tracks.

Before Midnight

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The bittersweet conclusion of The Before Trilogy finds Celine and Jesse several years into a relationship and in the midst of a sun-dappled Greek retreat with their twin daughters and a group of friends. The couple soon find their vacation upended, however, by the aggravations of committed monogamy, which have long since supplanted the initial jolt of their mutual seduction. Marked by the emotional depth, piercing wit, and conversational exuberance that Linklater and his actors had honed over two decades of abiding with these characters, Before Midnight grapples with the complexities of long-term intimacy, and asks what becomes of love when it no longer has recourse to past illusions.

DIRECTOR-APPROVED EDITION:

• New, restored 2K digital transfers of Before Sunrise and Before Sunset and a 2K digital master of Before Midnight, approved by director Richard Linklater, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Before Sunrise Blu-ray and 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks on the Before Sunset and Before Midnight Blu-rays
• New discussion featuring Linklater and actors Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke, moderated by critic Kent Jones
• Behind-the-scenes footage and interviews from the productions of Before Sunrise and Before Sunset
• Audio commentary on Before Midnight by Delpy, Linklater, and Hawke
Dream Is Destiny, a 2016 feature-length documentary about Linklater by Louis Black and Karen Bernstein
• New documentary about the making of Before Midnight in Greece by filmmaker Athina Rachel Tsangari
3×2, a new conversation between scholars Dave Johnson and Rob Stone about Linklater's work
Linklater // On Cinema & Time, a video essay by filmmaker :: kogonada
• PLUS: An essay on the trilogy by critic Dennis Lim

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Murdoch
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Re: Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, 2013)

#2 Post by Murdoch » Fri Sep 28, 2012 9:39 am

ShellOilJunior wrote:Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and now - Before Midnight

Currently in post-production.

The only thing we know so far is it is set in Greece and Jesse's son looks to be part of the story. I wouldn't have been upset if Linklater, Hawke and Delpy decided to end it with 'Sunset'. I felt that film ended things beautifully. That said, I'm very much looking forward to this one. I love the 'Before' films for their honesty, organic structure and examination of romantic love. Additionally, the dialogue is intelligent, witty and stimulating.
I'm excited as well. While I was never a great fan of Sunrise, I thought Sunset was a romantic masterpiece, and the story is one that will continue to get better as the characters mature and age. It's such a simple yet lovely concept to have the two leads wander around beautiful locales carrying on a conversation that I'm hoping there will be yet another one of these down the road.

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knives
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Re: Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, 2013)

#3 Post by knives » Fri Sep 28, 2012 12:19 pm

There is something pleasant, for lack of a better word, about seeing how these characters react to the same situation at different points in their lives. I really do hope Linklater keeps this up each decade for as long as possible.

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Re: Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, 2013)

#4 Post by Tom Hagen » Fri Sep 28, 2012 5:31 pm

If that is the ultimate plan, they certainly erred in jumping from "sunrise" to "sunset" with the titles of the first two films. The should have been more circumspect, and called the second film Before Noon and this upcoming film Before Late Afternoon.

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swo17
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Re: Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, 2013)

#5 Post by swo17 » Fri Sep 28, 2012 5:46 pm

Really hoping this installment in some way involves gremlins.

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knives
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Re: Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, 2013)

#6 Post by knives » Fri Sep 28, 2012 5:47 pm

They are going to the Kremlin.

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Finch
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Re: Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, 2013)

#7 Post by Finch » Sat Sep 29, 2012 6:08 am

Excited for the film as well (agree that Sunset ended on a perfect note and I also like it quite a bit more than Sunrise).

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Dansu Dansu Dansu
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Re: Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, 2013)

#8 Post by Dansu Dansu Dansu » Sat Sep 29, 2012 2:49 pm

Sunrise is something of a necessary evil for Sunset to be truly effective. It's a likable movie, but recommending the two inevitably starts with a warning about the sluggish first film.

Just a random thought: the dialogue in Sunrise is either about their lives or whatever pops into their heads. The latter is contextualized by the need to talk, in part a cover for their emotions. It's the same in the second film, except we're far more involved in their lives, and apparently they have far more interesting conversations in their 30s. So, in order for the third film to follow these traits, Jesse must have left at the end of Sunset. They can't catch up on events they mutually lived, and while they can still talk about whatever, all underlying tension would be flatlined. Also, the deadline is meaningless if it isn't a threat to their unity. So maybe he stayed and they're unhappily married. Maybe they're walking around Greece getting marriage counseling. And the counselor ends the session at midnight. Do we even need to see the movie anymore?

I'm looking forward to this new entry, but I'm afraid they should have kept the perfect ending of Sunset, which a third film will inherently weaken.

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Re: Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, 2013)

#9 Post by Professor Wagstaff » Sun Sep 30, 2012 1:10 am

Dansu Dansu Dansu wrote:Sunrise is something of a necessary evil for Sunset to be truly effective. It's a likable movie, but recommending the two inevitably starts with a warning about the sluggish first film.
I don't understand how you could refer to the first film as a 'necessary evil'. I think it succeeds on its own terms and plays even better on further viewings when seen in context with what we know happens to these young lovers later on in life. The Celine and Jesse characters establish throughout the second film how foolish they were to not exchange numbers years earlier, with one character suggesting that in youth we believe we'll meet many people we connect with, which the passage of time proved untrue. See that development of a person over years, from changing perspectives and ideas as they pass on to the new stages of life, is one of the strongest elements of the first two films. I'm reminded of watching Michael Apted's Up series and hearing the interview subject Symon speak in an earlier film (28 Up, I think) about how he figured out how to handle the challenges of life, only to recant later (in 42 Up, I believe) saying those were the words of a younger, more foolhardy man, but his new philosophies have really made sense of his existence. You can imagine what the Symon of future installments said of himself at age 42.

My hope for this series is that each subsequent installment debunks the attitudes of the film before it. What does someone in their 40s think of romance that would fly against that of their 30-something incarnation, or for that matter, how do they approach anything different in their lives from a decade earlier?

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Re: Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, 2013)

#10 Post by Dansu Dansu Dansu » Sun Sep 30, 2012 12:32 pm

"Necessary evil" came off harsher than I meant, as I did say I liked the film. I enjoyed your comments, especially about Sunrise gaining context from Sunset. For my money, Sunrise isn't paced as well as Sunset, though I enjoy the experience as a whole.

Considering both of Linklater's current projects involve observing characters over the course of several years (at least he's getting some use out of Ethan Hawke), the Up series is probably an appropriate comparison with what he is trying to achieve with the Before series, though up to this point I thought of them as bookend films which told a complete story. It's now clear they aren't simply bookend films, and the formula he used for them will change with each subsequent film. I just hope it works.

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Re: Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, 2013)

#11 Post by Dansu Dansu Dansu » Sun Sep 30, 2012 1:53 pm

Just discovered this interview with Ethan Hawke for The Guardian. Here's the relevant excerpt:

I end the interview the way everybody ends their meetings with Hawke, by telling him what they should do with the third Before Sunrise film, currently at the planning stage. Everyone does this, apparently: journalists, fans, directors, strangers.

"I'll go meet some fancypants director for a movie. They'll go, 'Oh this guy wants to meet you for this, that, the other.' I go, 'OK, I'll meet the guy.' We start talking about their film for a bit and then they go: 'I know what the third film should be.' And then he tells me. It's flattering, but we have to just tune it out and figure out what we want to say."

What does he want to say? "One of the things I want to get into the film is an acknowledgement of – and this is everybody's struggle – how do you keep your innocence alive? How do you keep your sense of romance alive, your sense of joy alive? But match it with realism, to get rid of all the fake naivety. To see the world for what it is. It's a very difficult aspect of life. What do you do?"

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Re: Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, 2013)

#12 Post by ShellOilJunior » Mon Oct 01, 2012 7:21 am

I've been taking a look at some of the locations used in the film and this should be quite beautiful. They should have some interesting indoor spots, too.

Also, here's a promo image of Hawke looking a lot like Josh Brolin.


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Re: Sundance 2013

#14 Post by ianungstad » Mon Jan 21, 2013 5:41 am

Linklater's Before Midnight is getting fantastic reviews with many early reactions even calling the film a masterpiece. I think the rights are still up for grabs, this should sell for big bucks and get a major Oscar push.

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Re: Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, 2013)

#15 Post by ShellOilJunior » Mon Jan 21, 2013 7:49 am

Getting excellent reviews from Sundance:
Peter Sciretta ‏@slashfilm
'Before Midnight' makes it three for three in the series. This one is more about the difficulty of a long relationship. Part of me loves...

Scott Renshaw ‏@scottrenshaw
All of the feelings. Just *beep* ALL of them. #BeforeMidnight

Steven Zeitchik ‏@ZeitchikLAT
Before Midnight: Some really great writing, wonderful balance of drama and comedy. Linklater at the top of his game. #Sundance

Mike Ryan ‏@mikeryan
Before Midnight is my favorite of the "Before" trilogy. #sundance

Ben Pearson ‏@benpears
BEFORE MIDNIGHT was stellar. Darker than the first two, but emotionally devastating. #Sundance

Alex Suskind ‏@ClassicSource
BEFORE MIDNIGHT: Sweet, funny and romantic. Perfect way to end the trilogy #sundance

Ethan Anderton ‏@Ethan_Anderton
Right there with you. RT @mikeryan: Before Midnight is my favorite of the "Before" trilogy. #Sundance

Mike Ryan ‏@mikeryan
Before Midnight is by far the most relatable of the three films. These are now real people, not a caricature of "true love." #sundance

kateyrich ‏@kateyrich
Still got too big a lump in my throat to talk about Before Midnight. Pretty sure it's perfect. Hard to see through all the wistful tears.

Damon Wise ‏@yo_damo
Wow, Before Midnight really kills the box set #Sundance2013 #justmyopinion

even Weintraub ‏@colliderfrosty
BEFORE MIDNIGHT was not what I expected yet exactly what it needed to be. It's a perfect trilogy. Wouldn't change a thing.

erickohn ‏@erickohn
BEFORE SUNRISE/SUNSET/MIDNIGHT: Now officially one of the best trilogies ever. #Sundance13

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Jeff
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Re: Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, 2013)

#16 Post by Jeff » Mon Jan 21, 2013 11:02 am

Here is Justin Chang's ecstatic review in Variety, and Eric Kohn at Indiewire calling it the best in series.

I can't wait. Just like when Before Sunset came out, I was afraid they'd ruin the magic, but it doesn't sound like that's happened at all.
ianungstad wrote:I think the rights are still up for grabs, this should sell for big bucks and get a major Oscar push.
IMDb and Wikipedia say that it was produced under the CastleRock banner and that Warner already has all media rights. Would make sense considering the other two are already there.

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Re: Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, 2013)

#17 Post by ianungstad » Mon Jan 21, 2013 10:49 pm

Jeff wrote:IMDb and Wikipedia say that it was produced under the CastleRock banner and that Warner already has all media rights. Would make sense considering the other two are already there.
Warner hasn't released a CastleRock title in years. According to Deadline the current frontrunner for the rights to Before Midnight is Lionsgate. I hope that changes, Lionsgate is a terrible company and I don't trust them to release art films. (Even if it was released in partnership with Roadside Attractions).

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Jeff
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Re: Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, 2013)

#18 Post by Jeff » Mon Jan 21, 2013 11:23 pm

ianungstad wrote:Warner hasn't released a CastleRock title in years. According to Deadline the current frontrunner for the rights to Before Midnight is Lionsgate. I hope that changes, Lionsgate is a terrible company and I don't trust them to release art films. (Even if it was released in partnership with Roadside Attractions).
Isn't Castle Rock a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Warner though? Surely they have the right of first refusal if they want it.

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Re: Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, 2013)

#19 Post by AMalickLensFlare » Tue Jan 22, 2013 12:09 pm

Great to hear the reception for this is positive...very much looking forward to it.

I always got a kick out of the absolutely awful DVD cover art for Sunrise. It makes the film look like a throwaway 90s B-movie:
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Re: Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, 2013)

#20 Post by flyonthewall2983 » Tue Jan 22, 2013 12:19 pm

Jeff wrote:Isn't Castle Rock a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Warner though? Surely they have the right of first refusal if they want it.
It is, but according to their wiki some of their films have been winding up at other companies in recent years anyway. Mainly Sony.

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Re: Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, 2013)

#21 Post by Brian C » Tue Jan 22, 2013 1:41 pm

AMalickLensFlare wrote:I always got a kick out of the absolutely awful DVD cover art for Sunrise. It makes the film look like a throwaway 90s B-movie:
Makes it look like it's about a serial killer who's about to strangle Delpy.

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Jeff
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Re: Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, 2013)

#22 Post by Jeff » Fri Jan 25, 2013 1:21 pm

It has indeed gone to Sony Pictures Classics. Hopefully that won't preclude an eventual complete Blu-ray box from Sony, Warner, or Criterion.

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Re: Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, 2013)

#23 Post by ShellOilJunior » Fri Jan 25, 2013 3:22 pm

Jeff wrote:It has indeed gone to Sony Pictures Classics. Hopefully that won't preclude an eventual complete Blu-ray box from Sony, Warner, or Criterion.
Thanks for the link, Jeff. That would be a sweet deal to get a box from Crit Co.

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Re: Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, 2013)

#24 Post by j99 » Sun Jan 27, 2013 4:53 pm

Glad to see the film getting good reviews as I enjoyed the previous two. I didn't realise there was going
to be a third installment so this comes as a pleasant surprise. Is there a release date for the UK yet?


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