Waiting for Before Midnight

Aside from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, there is no other movie I talk about more frequently than Before Sunrise and Before Sunset. I wrote about them here, here, here, and one of my personal favorite posts, here.

Today, in anticipation of Before Midnight's release in the Philippines on July 10 (and its premiere I will go to on Tuesday), I watched both movies and read the screenplays -

- and I realized that it doesn't matter how many times I watch the movies or read the book, I just keep on falling in love with them more and more. I know I say this a lot about a host of different fictional characters but Jesse and Celine are special, and maybe it's because I could really identify with Celine's neuroses and Jesse's romantic toughie-but-softy thing going on.

Intelligent without sounding pretentious and romantic without coming off as a complete cheese-fest, my heart aches just thinking of how beautiful these movies are.

To talk about what you really feel and think about without fear of being judged, to find someone to connect with and have that connection transcend everything... That's the dream. I want that, you know?

I'm such a sucker for movies and books that tell stories like this, this accidental connection, this beautiful serendipity. I'm obsessed with creating memories and making the most out of life, and maybe that is why these movies spoke to me. "Everything is so finite, and that's what makes everything so special." And you know what, when I learned that the Before series is based on a true story but the woman who inspired the whole thing doesn't even know about it because she died before the first movie was filmed? Why that's just heartbreaking.

I can go on and on with all these hyperboles about how I loved these movies but that will just sound reductive and redundant. And so to put it as eloquently and accurately as much as I can, I guess I'll just say, "I wish I wrote it." - and that, for me, is the highest compliment one can give any piece of written work.

I wish I wrote these, but then again, they wouldn't have gotten the same recognition they currently enjoy so I guess I'm okay. I mean, the series aren't really Hollywood blockbusters but they've earned a cult following already, and I'm happy to be one of its many fans all over the world.

I'm so excited to watch Before Midnight and see where Richard Linklater, Kim Krizan, Ethan Hawke, and Julie Delpy will take us this time. The movie's set in Greece but I made sure not to read any reviews already available ;) If they end up separating in the end, I think I might be too depressed and go kill mysef.

You may also visit Before Midnight's Philippine Facebook page here and get a chance to win movie tickets!