When romance becomes marriage

While the first two films hinged on brief encounters,the thirdset in Greecehas the much trickier task of picking up with Celine and Jesse,now a couple with young twin girls,as they go about the business of living. Each of the Before movies remains a window onto a stage of life,attuned to the possibilities and disappointments of ones 20s,30s and 40s.

Hawke and Delpy share writing credit with Linklater on Before Midnight,as they did on Before Sunset it got an Oscar nomination. Excerpts from a conversation with the three:

The idea for a third film

Hawke: For years I would go to dinner parties and people would tell me how they thought the third film should go. I think the idea of it has lived since the day we wrapped the second.

Linklater: It was a similar trajectory as after the first onefive years of it being maybe a jokey idea,but nothing of any substance. We were on the fence last spring,and someone did the math and said if we shot it in the summer,it would be the same time differential.

How this one is different

Hawke: The first two films are so much about romantic projection. The third had to be the opposite of that.

Delpy: But it couldnt be totally taken away from that romantic ideaotherwise its depressing.

Linklater: We had an idea to just show them on a typical da0y: Someone goes and picks up the kids and its only later at night that they have this together moment.

Hawke: That was one of the original ideas behind the title. After you read the kids stories and finally have a minute to yourself,thats right before midnight.

Linklater: It was a question of finding a balance between domesticity and something that harks back to the first two films. Thats why we had the idea to have them on holiday.

Whether romance lives on

Hawke: Depends on your definition of romanticism.

Delpy: I think this film would be romantic for people who have been together a long time,but not necessarily for people who have never had a long-term relationship.

Linklater: Theyre in their 40s,theyre still talking to each other,they still make each other laugh. Thats pretty good! And they still think they want to have sex with each other8230;

Delpy: Even though they dont.

Linklater: The fact that they are still together is pretty romantic. But its a different,more hard-earned romance.

The conversations

Delpy: The long opening scene in the car was probably the most challenging thing to write. It had to explain but not be too on the nose.

Hawke: Once people have been together for years,what do they have left to say to each other? That led to the giant dinner scene,which gave us an excuse to have them talking to other people.

Linklater: The subtle frustrations come out in a comical way when its in a social setting.

Delpy: When Celine says Jesse likes bimbos,shes making a joke,but its an issue for her. A side of her feels that he wishes he had a bimbo for a wife.

Linklater: Were trying to capture how conversations and arguments flow through a day,through a relationship,through a life.

The autobiographical elements

Hawke: Julie and I are using pieces of ourselves to blur the line between the character and the performer. Julie has helped create Jesse. And Im really proud of Celineshes an awesome female figure.

Delpy: An icon of feminism.

Hawke: Were using ourselves and hoping they feel real,and were trying to create a scenario thats bigger than ourselves.

Linklater: When I was doing that first movie I was already in my early 30s and had a one-year-old daughter. The idea of meeting someone on a train was a bit in my past,but that was more their presentthey were both 23 without a lot of attachmentsand I liked that dynamic being there.

A fourth film?

Hawke: The logical next title would be After Midnight. But thats already a film. And then we could do After Sunset and After Sunrise and then wed be dead8230; The truth is,we do use our lives for these films in some way. Whatever the next one is,it hasnt been revealed to us yet.