Sunday, April 7, 2013

Top 5 Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy Performances

Before Midnight (2013)

Richard Linklater's Before trilogy is coming to an end(?) next month, and many (myself included) are anxious to see what happens to Jesse and Celine. Since Before Midnight is opening in a matter of weeks, I decided to take a brief look at Ethan Hawke's and Julie Delpy's best performances to date.

Ethan Hawke


Hawke started as a child actor, but quickly developed into a young talent. Since his early days in the business, he has starred in studio films and independent ones, even directing two along the way. He's given a number of great performances over the years, and he's been honored with two Academy Award nominations for his work in front of and behind the camera. Here are his top 5 performances.

5. Training Day (2001)
Role: Jake Hoyt
Quote: "That's the second time you pointed a gun at me. There will *not* be a third!"
Recognition: Oscar & SAG noms

4. Gattaca (1997)
Role: Vincent Freeman
Quote: "I was never more certain of how far away I was from my goal than when I was standing right beside it."
Recognition: None

3. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)
Role: Hank
Quote: "I'm in. What are we doing?"
Recognition: Gotham & Satellite Award wins; Critics Choice nom

2. Tape (2001)
Role: Vince
Quote: "I'm not high and mighty. I'm too high to be high and mighty."
Recognition: None

1. Before Sunset (2004)
Role: Jesse
Quote: "Life's hard. It's supposed to be. If we didn't suffer, we'd never learn anything."
Recognition: None*

Julie Delpy


Delpy also began acting at a young age, and most of her work has been in foreign films. Though U.S. audiences might not be familiar with her, she has popped up in a number of American projects. In addition, she has starred in a few films that she has also directed, written, and produced, while garnering an Academy Award nomination for her screenwriting work. Here are her top 5 performances.

5. 2 Days in Paris (2007)
Role: Marion
Quote: "It always fascinated me how people go from loving you madly to nothing at all, nothing."
Recognition: None

4. Broken Flowers (2005)
Role: Sherry
Quote: "I mean, I'm like your mistress, except you're not even married."
Recognition: None

3. Three Colors: White (1994)
Role: Dominique
Quote: "If I say I love you, you don't understand."
Recognition: None

2. Before Sunrise (1995)
Role: Celine
Quote: "Isn't everything we do in life a way to be loved a little more?"
Recognition: MTV Movie Award nom

1. Before Sunset (2004)
Role: Celine
Quote: "Baby, you are gonna miss that plane."
Recognition: Empire & SFFCC Award wins; OFCS nom & LAFCA runner-up*

*They did receive Oscar nominations for writing Before Sunset, though.

17 comments:

  1. I'm extremely looking forward to Before Midnight. I love watching those 2 together.

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  2. I somehow have managed to see 2 Days in New York, but not 2 Days in Paris. Julie Delpy was fantastic though!

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    1. I liked her in both, but I prefer her work in 2 Days in Paris. Plus, Adam Goldberg is hilarious in it.

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    2. I agree... 2 Day in Paris is the best one.

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  3. To me, I'm always amazed how different Julie Delpy is in Three Colors: White (1994), and Before Sunrise.

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    1. I know, right? So cold in one and so warm in the other. Love those performances.

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  4. Great stuff.

    Yep, I’d agree with both lists, in their current, exact orders. Are we the same person?

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    1. Thanks. Wow! That's amazing. Indeed, are we?

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  5. Love Delpy so much, she is also quite the singer. Hawke was great in the movies you listed, I haven't seen Tape, though.

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    1. I agree on Delpy. She's a great actress/singer. Oh, you should check out Tape. Uma Thurman is also great in it.

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  6. Love me some Ethan Hawke. Kudos for spotlighting "Tape" and "Before the Devil", two of my favorite Hawke movies outside of the "Before Sunrise" series. You have to put "Reality Bites" up there though! :)

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    1. Haha. I think Hawke is one of today's most underrated actors, but his performance in Reality Bites wasn't quite good enough for the top 5. It'd probably be in my top 10 though.

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  7. Great post! Of all these, I've only seen "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" -- Hawke definitely gave an unforgettable performance there.

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    1. Thanks! He was terrific in that film. Ooh, you should check out Before Sunrise and Before Sunset. :)

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    2. I do want to see those movies -- they've been on my list for ages.

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    3. Maybe you should wait until Before Midnight comes out on DVD then. Unless you want to space them out. Or, just watch the first two and wait for the third. They're worth it. :)

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