Monday, February 23, 2015

Brief Moments Of True Romance Part lll. The Final Act

Tonight's marathon brings to a close the epic Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight trilogy created by the filmmakers of the recent critically acclaimed coming of age drama titled Boyhood. The first night dealt with the romances getting briefer with each movie ranging from a Labor Day weekend to just 24 hours and even a half hour romance between a young ally soldier and a German girl. The second night dealt with the couples getting older with each film ranging from young adults to two passionate elderly people sharing a forbidden romance due to the other being involved in a marriage. Tonight is more of a thought provoking type of romance night where we feel the joy and heartbreak of several people who come together and share some truly amazing memories together. We have on our menu for this evening:

Lost In Translation 2003, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind 2004 Before Midnight 2013, and 500 Days of Summer 2009








We begin the evening with the film Lost in Translation starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johanssen made in 2003 by Sofia Coppola. The plot centers around a faded movie star and a neglected young woman who form an unlikely bond after crossing paths in Tokyo together. Nominated for four academy awards and winner of best original screenplay, this film sets the tone for the rest of the movies with the theme of two people coming together and sharing an experience that both will remember for a lifetime. The second film in the lineup is Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. Nominated for two academy awards including a nom for best actress, the film won an Oscar for best original screenplay with a storyline that centers around a couple's relationship that ends up turning sour. They both undergo a procedure to have each other erased from their memories. However is through the process of their loss and memories fading that they discover what they had to begin with...although it might be too late. Generally considered the finest work of Jim Carreys career and his most dramatic performance, both him and Kate Winslet bring their A game to their roles in this movie along with Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood, and Tom Wilkinson in supporting roles. The third film in the lineup is Before Midnight, the third and final installment in the critically acclaimed romantic trilogy. Picking up 9 years later where they left off from Before Sunset, we reunite with the characters of Jesse and Celine in Greece, almost two decades after their first meeting on a train heading for Vienna. Their third and final meeting will ultimately decide where their relationship will head if they decide to act on their true feelings for each other or go their separate paths. Like it's predecessor, the film received an Oscar nomination for best original screenplay. What all three of these films have in common is that their writing is top notch and dialogue and performances are what drives the films. The fourth and final movie of the night is Joseph Gordon Levitt's 500 Days Of Summer. Nominated for two Golden Globe awards including best film and best actor in lead role, Levitt gives a powerful performance about a man who encounters a woman who doesn't believe true love exists, and soon enough he ends up falling for her.

So what are all of these films ultimately trying to say? Lost in Translation says that new friendships can define what's really important in life. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind says that painful memories can help make us who we are and those memories should be accepted and even embraced. Before Midnight says that every relationship has its up and downs, and 500 Days Of Summer says that true love is not a greeting card sentiment.

Our main characters for this evening:




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