At Long Last: "Before Sunrise 3"...?

wouldn't it be lovely if their story could be this moment forever?

There's a dirty a rumor going around that Celine & Jesse might be thrice charmed in the reasonably near future. Apparently a rumor that Ethan Hawke regrets starting. I'm actually torn about this. On the one hand, we have a couple about my age whose dynamic so perfectly captures my generation. (Maybe other generations too, but I've only experienced my own.) Seeing more of their growth would certainly be a pleasure, especially for those of us just now accepting the reality of our parents' mortality. And our own. 

Then you have the case of Before Sunset. An unexpected sequel that so improves on the first film that a lot of people who never saw Sunrise, maybe never will. There is so much that satisfies in finding Celine & Jesse with the stars fallen from their eyes, and yet! they still have the capacity to be borne on that lovely feeling. It's just so...perfect, the way they come together and renew one another's vigor in a way that their current partners never could. This couple's affair was so brief that they're still in that warm, soft place of raw desire. They've never really argued, they don't know each other's annoying habits, they've never had to compromise. And the only time they were skin to skin was when both were shiny and nubile. When we fade to black on Jesse's wicked grin, we know that our lovebirds, despite their dings, are still up for passion, adventure, a fresh start. That ending is so buoyant I can practically float on air for days after watching it. 

"baby, you are gon-na miss that plane..."

"...i know..."

I don't want a sequel to fuck with that. I don't need Celine and Jesse to wind up together. My fairytale is very complete. Celine & Jesse at 40? It's hard to see what story they could tell that would be resonant and yet not burst the bubble... 

souls laid bare: hashing out their missed connections

So, I'm saying, if there's a sequel in the works, bring it on. (And try to set it in Paris again.) But don't hurt me.

In the meantime, how 'bout a Blu-Ray edition already?