Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy in Sony Pictures Classics' 'Before Midnight'

Must-See Movies Beyond the Blockbusters

"Before Midnight," the third and richest collaboration between Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy and director Richard Linklater, finds the French and American couple Celine (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke) still talking, talking, talking – and making love.

Having met on a train nearly two decades ago and day-tripped together in Vienna (“Before Sunrise”) then reunited years later in Paris after Jesse published a novel about their night together (“Before Sunset”), the pair are currently coupled, with children. Now, in the waning hours of a summer vacation on a Greek isle, Celine and Jesse struggle to navigate the rocky seas of divorce, domesticity and approaching middle age.

Oh, what a difference nearly two decades together makes – both in the way the couple relates to each other, and the way the audiences relates to them!

[Related: Critic’s Pick: ‘Frances Ha’]

The trilogy’s third day unfolds with end-of-summer sweet-sadness. Jesse bids goodbye to his tween-aged son (Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick) from his troublesome American

'Star Trek Into Darkness' (Photo: Paramount Pictures)The story dictates the hunt for "Wrath of Khan" allusions in "Star Trek Into Darkness," writers-producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto "Bob" Orci say. Sure the writing partners, who first teamed on TV's "Hercules," have their Trekkie creds and endless "Star Trek" facts in their reference arsenal. But, to quote Bob, "Have the Easter eggs in the back of your mind. Don't chase them."

Here's how the Easter egg hunt came together according to Bob and Alex:

Julianne Moore in 'The English Teacher' (Photo: Cinedigm)

"I could have been an English teacher," Oscar nominee Julianne Moore, 52, told Yahoo! Movies while discussing "The English Teacher," which opens Friday. She plays a repressed high school instructor whose career unravels when she encounters a former student- turned- playwright (Kristen Stewart ex Michael Angarano).

"I really related to my character," said Moore. "I was that kind of kid who loved to read, who was happier in a book than outside with other kids.

"I would win the summer library reading contest," Moore confessed. "I started acting after school because I wasn't athletic. It was an extension of reading. If I hadn't had my high school English teacher saying I could be an actress, I may not have the career I do."

Asked about her favorite book, the face of L'Oreal and mother of two paused for a moment and said, "'Little Women,' probably. It's a book that I read over and over and over again. So much of that book is about self-determination. Rich family life, a lot of tragedy, and

Photo: HBO

Why Cannes? Because it's a mosh pit of the high-profile movies that you're going to love or hate throughout the year. In a rare turn of events, Americans have already had the opportunity to see the opening night film, Baz Luhrmann's lavish "The Great Gatsby." The buzz is all about whether the elite Cannes crowds will crow as Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan own the red carpet only to dismiss the moneymaker as an exercise in materialistic excess? Cannes audiences are notorious for their candid reactions. Boos and hissing are as common as standing ovations.

Meanwhile, stars swarm the upscale French Riviera mecca once frequented by "The Great Gatsby" author F. Scott Fitzgerald. Stars will also splash the big screen, including Ryan Gosling, Justin Timberlake, Marion Cotillard, Clive Owen and Matt Damon.

Among the high-profile participants, American director Steven Spielberg will head the prestigious jury, which includes Nicole Kidman, Christoph Waltz and Oscar-winning rival Ang Lee. They're tasked with choosing from 19 films in 12 days for the prestigious Palme d'Or. It's the ultimate networking exercise and a sweet spot for Spielberg. After last year's losses he returns to the festival that screened his debut feature, "Sugarland Express," in 1974.

Here are a dozen reasons why Cannes matters:

Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

When Kerry Washington arrived at this week's Metropolitan Gala with punky purple streaks in her hair, she shocked some people. Not us! We know there are a lot of layers to this actress -- she has a Phi Beta Kappa from George Washington University -- who's dominating this year on screens big and small.

On TV, the aptly-named Washington owns the sexy D.C. drama "Scandal." During Oscar season, she rode the red carpet as the only major female star in Quentin Tarantino's Oscar-winning antebellum revenge fantasy "Django Unchained." And, now, with a glamorous shake of her head, the Bronx-born beauty gets laughs in "Peeples," an upscale African American meet-the-parents comedy co-starring Craig Robinson.

Must-See Movies Beyond the Blockbusters

Sarah Polley (Photo: Roadside Attractions)

Watching "Stories We Tell" feels like sharing a comfy couch beside a close friend -- who happens to be an amazing storyteller with a show-stopping secret. In her third film as a writer-director ("Away From Her," "Take This Waltz"), the Canadian actress Sarah Polley, 34, uses nonfiction to unknot her shocking family history. Because her parents, Michael and Diane Polley, were theater people, the revelations also played out on a public stage.