pinartarhan.com

Fun and comprehensive entertainment blog feat. movies, TV series, actors, movie-makers, music & books: 1980 - Present

  • Home
  • Hire Me
  • Books
  • Privacy Policy

Before Midnight starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy: The Sequel I’d So Wanted to Like

Posted on November 2, 2014 Written by Pinar Tarhan

Share

before midnight movie poster
Image via eksiil.net.

It’s essential to remember where we are coming from, and before diving straight into my review, I want to talk a bit about the two movies that came before. But you can head straight to the Before Midnight part if you like. Just scroll down a bit;)

Before Sunrise: A Romantic Haven for The Realistic Romantic

In 1995, Jesse and Celine met on a train, and connected like they haven’t connected with anyone. They were both cute, young (in their early 20s) and, as much as Jesse was more obviously so, romantic. They got along so well, in fact, Jesse didn’t want to get off at his temporary station in Vienna (he was flying back home the next day) so he persuaded Celine to get off with him and spend the day/night in Vienna (Before Sunrise). You can read a more thorough, spoiler-free review here.

Of course Celine and Jesse fell in love during their spontaneous and romantic day, and we fell in love with their story (as well as the city.) Now, I’ll spoil the ending, so you might want to avoid this post if you haven’t seen Before Sunrise.

Hell, you shouldn’t be here if you haven’t seen Before Sunset (sequel to Before Sunrise, which we’ll talk about shortly). But please do come back after you’ve seen it.

OK, so Before Sunrise has a semi-happy, semi-vague ending. Celine and Jesse agree not to exchange numbers or addresses (which is pretty dumb and naive, considering how they felt about each other), but to meet in Vienna in six months. They say their goodbyes and go on their separate ways. But don’t get me wrong, Before Sunrise is one of my favorite films, and I pretty much love everything about it.

Before Sunset: A Little Darker, More Realistic and Just As Good Sequel

Come 2004, we get Before Sunset, the sequel. This is where we are disappointed in the beginning to find out that that planned meeting never happened. Jesse has gone on to publish a bestseller about their day in Vienna, and is on a book tour in Paris, which is where Celine lives. Celine drops by at his book signing, and from then on, the movie is about them catching up 9 years later.

As they mostly walk around Paris, we learn what they’ve been up to. Professionally, they’ve chased their ideals. Romantically, they’re a mess. Celine is in a kind of relationship with a guy she doesn’t care much about. Jesse is unhappily married with a young son; he would probably have bolted if not for him.

Here, because they are in their mid-30s, things are, or at least seem to be, a bit bleak. And not just because of their current disappointing relationships, but because we learn they couldn’t meet at their designated time and that they still have feelings for each other.

The ending is still a bit vague, but basically, this time we kind of, sort of know they stayed together. OK, let me put this way: we guess they stayed together at that moment, but we aren’t sure if it lasted. Well, we weren’t sure for 9 years, until Before Midnight came out.

Before Midnight: Bleak, Hostile, Insensitive, Bitchy, Toxic – Is this the sequel about Celine and Jesse’s dumber, more aggressive and ultra insensitive clones?

I love Before Sunrise to bits, and in some ways, I love Before Sunset even more because it seems more realistic and sincere. It’s easy to relate to the disappointments and missed opportunities and what-ifs of being a grown-up.

The dialogue also sounds more natural than the first movie. Director/writer Richard Linklater, and co-writers/lead actors Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy have done splendid jobs capturing a genuine, second part of a love story.

Before Midnight has a lovely trailer. It looks like you’ll look into the marriage of one of our favorite couples in movie history, and what years have done to their relationship (we know it has been years because they have kids and they’re on vacation together as a family).

And it starts well enough: Jesse is at the airport saying goodbye to his now teenage son Hank who has spent the summer in Greece with them. Then it takes a while we can get some quality time with just Celine and Jesse. Sure, it’s just them talking in the car while their twin girls sleep at the back of the car but it’s more talking at each other and making jokes about their kids instead of really sharing – not the type of Jesse and Celine exchanges we’ve gotten used to. Yes, we get it. They are married. Things are different. But are you really ready for just how much things have changed?

Then they’re back around the writer’s residence, Jesse talking to his friends, and Celine helping out in the kitchen (Celine in the kitchen???) and then it’s everyone at the house having dinner together. The stuff our duo would discuss among themselves is discussed together here, where Celine does her usual (in this movie!) putting-Jesse-down routine.

So 35 minutes in, and they still haven’t taken a walk around town just the two of them.

OK, about 47 minutes in or so, we’re finally with the two of them, only their conversation revolves mostly around their kids, and Celine’s insecurities. There are some delightful moments and smiles, but it’s very limited.

After a few minutes of Before-Sunrisey moments, we go to the hotel Celine was so reluctant to go to, and all hell breaks lose. This is where the movie puts me further off long-lasting relationships and having kids. This where I say forever goodbye to the Celine and Jesse I know, wishing I can forget this movie, so that I watch the first two movies again, without being haunted by this one.

*

Remember that beautiful scene by the fountain, little after dawn, in Before Sunrise where Celine was talking about how she’d grow to love someone more after she has gotten to know them entirely…Well, turns out, she just grows to resent them. Yay! Celine is another woman who has grown to resent her husband who shockingly didn’t change at all.

Now, I’m not saying I’m super awesome and Celine’s a bitch. We all have our own demons, problems and neuroses. But Celine here is making me miss Ally McBeal; and at least Ally was likeable and well-meaning most of the time. And she was funnier than she was irritating.

Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t head over heels with Jesse either. The last thing I want is a guy with a bitchy ex-wife and a teenage son, who plans a whole summer according to his needs, doesn’t include loyalty in his definition of being fully committed and who openly checks out younger, perkier women who happen to be dating his friend!

It’s just that next to Celine, he wins the lesser of two evils award.

*

I’m not saying I hated it. It had its moments. It had the trademark gorgeous scenery of a foreign country. But it didn’t have passion or romance. It didn’t have faith in the relationship and love story we grew up to love. There was no respect on Celine’s part, and don’t get me started about their lackluster ideas of being fully committed to each other…

So to sum it up all three movies’ reviews:

During Before Sunrise, you want to be Celine or Jesse.

During Before Sunset, you hope you don’t miss out on chances, and you wish you have the guts to follow your heart if you do happen to miss out on chances. You still don’t mind being Jesse or Celine.

During Before Midnight, you just want to go to Greece.

*

And I really didn’t want them to stay together, because that relationship became as harmful as toxic waste. I’m not some naive romantic that expects everything to be perfect. But I do expect an insult-free, loyal, passionate and respectful relationship. Otherwise, what the hell is the point? Speed had more romance than Before Midnight, for crying out loud!

*

This is a good, decent, honest movie. It’s just a highly disappointing sequel.

Recommended Movies: Strangers Falling in Love in One Day 

Falling Overnight

Forget Me Not 

Monsters– with a sci-fi angle

Also on Ethan Hawke

Brooklyn’s Finest starring Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke and Don Cheadle

Lord of War starring Nicolas Cage, Jared Leto and Ethan Hawke

Actors and Literature: Ethan Hawke, Hugh Laurie and Viggo Mortensen

Reality Bites starring Ethan Hawke, Winona Ryder and Ben Stiller

Alias TV Show starring Jennifer Garner, Michael Vartan, Bradley Cooper and Victor Garber

Share

Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: before midnight, before midnight cast, before midnight movie, before midnight movie review, before midnight plot, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, drama, Ethan Hawke, ethan hawke before sunrise, ethan hawke before sunset, Julie Delpy, Richard Linklater, romance

Forget Me Not: Will Not Be Forgotten Any Time Soon

Posted on May 27, 2012 Written by ripitup

Share

 
Forget Me Not starring Tobias Menzies and Genevieve O'Reilly. 2010 movie.
Forget Me Not starring Tobias Menzies and Genevieve O'Reilly. 2010 movie.

London.

Will (Tobias Menzies) is a musician who is barely holding on to life. He has a horrific problem, but we can only guess what it might be.

Eve (Genevieve O’Reilly-Jamie Lapidus’ from Episodes) is a bartender who wants to do something more with her life.

When Will saves her from a drunk, they start hanging out – at least until Eve gets to the party she needs to go to. But their potential “Before Sunrise” story is at times interrupted by Will’s uneasiness, and making Eve question his intentions. If he doesn’t like her, why isn’t he leaving? And if he does like her, why doesn’t he make a move already?

But we, as the audience, know that Will has a lot to deal with, and his indecision comes from the fact that even though he really likes her, he doesn’t want her to get involved in his issues. Because as it is made clear to us from the first moments of the film, Will isn’t exactly a big fan of living at the moment…

Forget Me Not ISN’T Before Sunrise. And it’s a good thing!

I really loved Forget Me Not. It’s not Before Sunrise, and it is not trying to be.

On many levels, it feels even more real. Let’s face it – the biggest issue of the characters from Before Sunrise was that they lived in other continents. Boo-hoo.

Now, while I love Before Sunrise (and Before Sunset) to bits, it is totally Jesse and Celine’s fault (or blessing-depends on how you interpret Before Sunset) that they choose to leave things to fate.

Will’s problem…well…it is not like he wants to die for his gothic beliefs. It’s not like he is depressed because his wife left him or something. He knows that his future is worse than bleak, and he is going to lose a lot before he dies a natural death. So a part of him wants to take fate into his own hands…a part of him well…can’t decide on the timing. And Eve is just the perfect distraction from that awful future.

Can two people really fall in love in the course of a day? Probably. Celine and Jesse made us believe it. Eve and Will made me believe it. The question is, how much realism can you handle in a romantic movie?

Who should watch it?

Pretty much everyone who has a thing for a heart-felt romantic story that doesn’t have an escapist feel to it. If you are a cynic, you’ll like the fact that love, in this film, doesn’t come at the right moment or bring happily ever after. If you are a romantic, you’ll like the fact that love can happen-even at the worst of times.

Shit happens. Life can suck, but it isn’t without its beautiful moments. I guess whether you can empathize with Will or not depends on….well, it really depends on your ability to empathize. After all, even the most cheerful and larger-than-life people can become suicidal when they realize life as they know it is about to be over, and we are not talking about losing your job here.

“Our memories make us,” as Will says. So the best you can do is to make the best of now by making as many great memories as you can.  And love for 24 hours is better than no love at all.

So see the movie, but be prepared for its depressing and truthful moments-even though the message is, ultimately, whatever you make it.

*

Written by Mark Underwood, & Rebecca Long, and Steve Spence. Directed by Alexander Holt and  Lance Roehrig.

Share

Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: Alexander Holt, Before Sunrise, before sunrise movie, Before Sunset, before sunset movie, forget me not, forget me not 2010 movie, forget me not movie, Genevieve O'Reilly Mark Underwood, Lance Roehrig drama, Rebecca Long, romance, Steve Spence, Tobias Menzies

Cairo Time starring Patricia Clarkson and Alexander Siddig

Posted on June 16, 2010 Written by ripitup

Share

Cairo Time starring Patricia Clarkson and Alexander Siddig
Cairo Time starring Patricia Clarkson and Alexander Siddig. Image from: http://www.reelworld.

Juliette (Patricia Clarkson) has two grown children that both left home. Her husband Mark (Tom McCamus) is working for the UN and they haven’t seen each other for a while. So while he is working in Gaza, Juliette flies to Cairo. The idea is to meet in Cairo is soon as Mark is done with his work. In the meantime, Mark has asked his old friend Tareq (Alexander Siddig) to take care of Juliette until he arrives.

Tareq used to work for UN with Mark and he is now retired, running a typical café in the city. While her first days are a little bit boring for Juliette (well, she gets bored most of the time when she’s not around Tareq, she realizes that the person she can get along with them most is Tareq. They both know a little about the other one’s culture and they are both intrigued and amused by it at the same time. Their relationship is a very sincere and naturally-progressing friendship. It is not long before they realize they have feelings for each other. But it is one thing being attracted to another person and it is another to act on it…After all, Juliette loves Mark and Tareq respects his friend…

This movie gives a lovely opportunity to explore Cairo- with its streets and cafes, restaurants and pyramids, the crowds and the dessert…It is a beautiful city. Watching this movie is incredibly serene and comforting experience. It might be the subtleness of the acting, the use of music and the setting or  the combination of all these, but I felt like I meditated afterwards. Yeah, this is a good thing.

While Tareq and Juliette got to know one another, walking through Cairo,I was reminded of Before Sunrise starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, and of course the lovely sequel Before Sunset. Of course in many ways, these movies are very different. In Before Sunrise, the characters are both young and single.  And there is also the fact that Celine and Jesse didn’t have time to be friends. They just had 24 hours together. Here, in Cairo Time, we do get a beautiful love story but the love here includes and starts from friendship. There is a bond and it is even stronger than the chemistry and attraction.

Now, obviously the movie is not everybody. The pace is really slow. Now, the pace works perfectly for the film but it might not be your thing to watch mainly two characters hang out. And if you are expecting explicit sex scenes (or sex scenes of any nature), you will be disappointed. This is not The English Patient. In fact, I’d say that this movie is safe even for a three-year-old. But with all the action and the nudity the movie world loves so much these days, it is nice to get something that is deep and has such an innocent level to it. I love my action and fast movies. But this movie is a very nice, escapist from all that. I am just warning you about what to expect and what not to.

Both Alexander Siddig and Patricia Clarkson are lovely together. And while Mark is essential to the story, he doesn’t have much screen time. But after hearing all about Mark throughout the movie, I think it is safe to say Tom McCamus fits the “hype”.

There is a big chance some things are exaggerated. So what? Relax and enjoy the experience. Written and directed by Ruba Nada. 8/10.

Cairo Time starring Patricia Clarkson and Alexander Siddig
Juliette (Patricia Clarkson) and Tareq (Alexander Siddig). Image from: http://www.cbc.ca/

Share

Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: Alexander Siddig, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Cairo Time, drama, movies, Patricia Clarkson, romance, Ruby Nada, Tom McCamus

Actors and Literature: Ethan Hawke, Hugh Laurie and Viggo Mortensen

Posted on February 23, 2010 Written by ripitup

Share

Don’t you like actors when they are multi-dimensional? It must be much more fun to be able to write a novel when they don’t have to pay the bills with its sales.  Sure, they would love to have many readers. What author doesn’t? But art is much more fun when you don’t have to worry about selling it. I did talk about actors making music before:

* Kevin Bacon  and Keanu Reeves

* Shane West

* Bruce Willis and John Travolta

* Hugh Laurie and Band from TV

Now, it is time for novels and poetry:

Ethan Hawke

Ethan Hawke
Ethan Hawke writes,directs and stars in movies. Plus, he writes novels. Gotta appreciate a multi-talented actor.

Well, we know Ethan Hawke is no stranger to writing scripts and we do love what he did with Julie Delpy and Richard Linklater, co-writing Before Sunset (The sequel to the amazing romantic film Before Sunrise). But he also writes  novels. His first novel is The Hottest State. He later directed this into a movie of the same name in 2006. He also wrote the script and has a small but an important role in the film. Not an amazing film, but pretty good in all standards and I do love a multi-tasking actor.

His second novel was released in 2002 and it is called “Ash Wednesday: A novel”

All Posts on Ethan Hawke

– Lord of War starring Nicolas Cage, Ethan Hawke and Jared Leto

–          Ethan Hawke trivia

–           Brooklyn’s Finest starring Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke and Don Cheadle

–          Cheating Celebrity Trivia: 8 Male Celebrities That Cheated (feat. Ethan Hawke, Jude Law,

Kevin Costner and more)

–           Before Sunrise

–          Before Sunset

–          10 Celebrity Break-ups You May Not Have Seen Coming

–          10 Most Entertaining Sci-fi Movies: Favorite Sci-fi Movies of a Non-fan

–          Reality Bites starring Ethan Hawke, Winona Ryder and Ben Stiller

–          Alias

Hugh Laurie

Hugh Laurie
Hugh Laurie is just superb as Gregory House, speaking in such a great American accent that even fooled the producers. I love this guy. And he is a writer too!

In addition to being a terrific actor, both comedic and dramatic, he is an apt musician. But as if talent and the British charm isn’t enough, Hugh Laurie is a writer too. His first novel The Gun Seller was a critically acclaimed crime novel. Another one called The Paper Soldier is on the way. Don’t you just love Hugh?

All posts on Hugh Laurie and Gregory House

Absolute Hugh Laurie and House Trivia: 21 Facts About Hugh Laurie and His TV Series House

Use of Social Media in TV Series featuring Castle, The Mentalist, House, Cougar Town and NCIS Los Angeles

Television’s 3 Most Brilliant, Emotionally Broken Men: Patrick Jane, Gregory House and Jack Bauer

22 Tall Actors From Hollywood

The British Actors We Love Part 2: The Hughs

Hollywood Stars in Friends, Including Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and More

House starring Hugh Laurie

Actor Musicians and Musician Actors Part 4: Hugh Laurie, James Denton and Greg Grunberg a.k.a. The Band From TV

Viggo Mortensen

Viggo Mortensen
OK, you caught me. I am not the biggest fan of the Middle-earth and its creatures. But I have always loved a smart,strong fighter. I just can't believe they almost had another actor playing Aragorn.

I first saw Viggo in a hugely underrated TV movie called Vanishing Point. It is fast, fun and interesting. Then I watched A Perfect Murder with Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow, where he played Gwyneth’s lover. The movie was a good remake and he does make a good bohemian artist with some shady intentions. So by the time he was Aragorn in Lord of the Rings, I was already a fan. But when I dug deeper into his history, I realized the guy was even more interesting than I gave him credit for. I’ll get into the details later but let’s just say that he writes poetry and does own a publishing house. Damn, the guy is hardworking.

I love all three actors and I have to admit I haven’t gotten to read their works. Yet. But I’ll. I just hope I have half the luck and talent these guys have…

Share

Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Ethan Hawke, Hugh Laurie, Lord of the rings, Reality Bites, Viggo Mortensen

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »

In the mood for a fun romcom novel?

Copyright © 2025 · Focus Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT