856-859 The Before Trilogy

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djproject
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Re: 856-859 The Before Trilogy

#126 Post by djproject » Sun Jul 30, 2017 8:54 pm

When I got the Criterion early last year (and only a few years after I saw all of them in one day at the Brattle), I realise that it is hard *not* to think of these interrelated works (whereas there was a time when Sunrise was its own thing and then it was just Sunrise and Sunset). For instance, when I saw the beginning of Sunrise, I couldn't help but see the bickering German couple as a strange precursor to what would happen to Jesse and Celine at the end of Midnight. (And given Linklater's life-long admiration of Joyce, I'm sure he'll appreciated the unintended circular structure a la Finnegans Wake.). In general, I also noted moments in Sunrise that would reappear in Midnight where there were potential issues between them. After all, there is an idea where we plant the seeds to our own destruction. (Yeah, I'm a cynical romantic =D )

And another weird coincidence ... I had seen Voyage to Italy for the first time the day before I saw Midnight.

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movielocke
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Re: 856-859 The Before Trilogy

#127 Post by movielocke » Mon Aug 21, 2017 3:02 pm

these films have been on my radar since I can remember. I always had a weird resistence to wanting to watch them, partially because they were so beloved by a few spectacularly self-centered and entitled douchey cinema guys of my acquaintance whom I did not particularly like and whose opinions on modern film I rarely agreed with.

So, now, more than a decade removed from said advocates, I went into finally sitting down to watch these films with a clean slate and an open mind.

Before Sunrise is very good throughout, the dialogue is nice, the performances are excellent and the locale is pretty enough. I absolutely loved that Linklater allows Hawke to be called out within the film as an insecure, petulant man-child. The scene with the palmist and Hawke's reaction to not getting attention was just marvelous, and it made me like the film much more than my moderate reaction "this is fine" I had up until that point. Of course, his behavior throughout is so "preening/strutting" as he's trying to impress the girl (and just showing what a jerk he is overall, but it's okay, she kind of likes jerks and she kind of likes guys showing off just for her) that it makes the film occasionally grating, but overall it's a fairly nice film, slightly dated in its outlook at this point, but not egregiously so.

I was curious throughout about the often featured (but never mentioned) enormous ring on her ring finger of her left hand, which she fiddles with constantly, and often maneuvers it into frame as they are flirting. The film never goes into it, but it seems plausible / possible she is married, which I thought was interesting, but I assume the film was taking the tack that he was clueless and didn't look or a jerk and just didn't care.

If they're going to be getting together, I don't expect it is going to turn out well. they seem tailor made for explosive, bitter fights where he believes he's not getting the attention/life he deserves (and blames everyone but himself for his frustrations just as he does now) and she believes she gets absolutely no credit from him for making the sacrifices and changes she'll inevitably have to make. So I'm looking forward to following what happens in the next two films.

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movielocke
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Re: 856-859 The Before Trilogy

#128 Post by movielocke » Sun Aug 27, 2017 3:41 am

Before Sunset is downright brilliant, the characters are better balanced, the dialog is sharper and film is better paced and far more emotionally moving and sincere than the first film.

I didn't even mind that the whole movie monologues as a self-centered rationalization for Ethan to cheat and or get divorced, because even with all his bullshitting, there's a sincerity and magic to the chemistry happening between the two actors that makes the whole film work, and work better than the semi-insincere repartee of the first film.

In the third movie, there had better be a five year old girl dancing on a table to a song from the first movie as described in the "time is a lie" short story description from the second movie.


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Noiretirc
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Re: 856-859 The Before Trilogy

#130 Post by Noiretirc » Sat Jan 30, 2021 6:20 pm

Maybe it will be called Before Death.

I agree that Before Sunset is brilliant, and the best of the three, imho. "Baby, you are going to miss that plane" should be as well known as "We'll always have Paris", in a just world. I'm amazed that in just over an hour in real time, we travel from a surprise meeting to them both knowing that he will miss the flight. The pacing never feels forced.

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therewillbeblus
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Re: 856-859 The Before Trilogy

#131 Post by therewillbeblus » Sat Jan 30, 2021 9:38 pm

Those departing words are among my favorite in movie history- also Delpy’s ‘waltz’ is incredibly moving, which I admittedly learned (not that it’s difficult) and still play from time to time on my guitar when feeling a certain way


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PfR73
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Re: 856-859 The Before Trilogy

#133 Post by PfR73 » Mon Jun 21, 2021 7:25 pm

Well the way that reads to me is that she turned it down at the time because she was seriously considering retiring at that point, but now that she's decided not to retire at this time, we don't know for sure if the door on the 4th film is closed shut or if there is still the opportunity for everyone to make it if she changes/has changed her mind.

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therewillbeblus
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Re: 856-859 The Before Trilogy

#134 Post by therewillbeblus » Mon Jun 21, 2021 7:54 pm

Yeah the news broke today on most sites, so it's hard to gauge where we're at. I'm surprised she wouldn't reach out to Linklater for some help financing her projects (not that he has omnipotent indie pull) or wonder if she did and there's something more to this story. Either way, all indications are that Delpy has intimate working relationships with Linklater and Hawke and I'm surprised she'd recoil from an opportunity to work with them again on an insular creative project under the same umbrellaed rationale that 'the industry' sucks

artfilmfan
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Re: 856-859 The Before Trilogy

#135 Post by artfilmfan » Fri Jun 16, 2023 7:36 pm

For those who like this trilogy, especially the first film, there is a story in the online CNN Travel section about a couple who met while traveling in Europe. It is a very nice story. I had a big smile on my face while reading it and I kept thinking about the first film of this trilogy, especially during the early part of the story.

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