I read an online review of Before Midnight where the reviewer made the case that in this third film of the "Before" trilogy, Celine had been reduced to a flat character. Behaving in ways that didn't square with the Celine we know from the first two films, and not to her credit. Believable thoughtful feminist Celine, for example, become stereotypical bitter feminist Celine. And that seems pretty right.
I would argue, though, that Before Midnight reduces Jesse and Celine both to flat characters; but only for the fight scene. I've seen each film in the trilogy only once, so I should be cautious in my judgment, but my first impression on seeing this one was that we do see the "real" Jesse and Celine for most of it—still chatting away, debating, poking fun at each other, and now, figuring out middle-aged family life together—but in the hotel, and certainly by the end of the fight, they've been transformed into a familiar, almost clichéd, dysfunctional couple.
Not that the real Jesse and Celine shouldn't deal with dysfunction, but if one thing has been established in their on-screen relationship, it's that they have always been able to talk to each other openly and for the most part, honestly. And perhaps more important, listen to each other. It's what makes their falling in love the day they meet believable. But in the hotel, they're simply not there.
I can believe Jesse would cheat on Celine and not tell her, but I can't believe that when confronted, he would ignore her question, and respond essentially by accusing her of questioning his commitment. It's familiar, it's understandable, and sadly, it's predictably male. But is it Jesse?
I can believe Celine would be bored, or seriously angry even, by Jesse's always having sex the same way, but would it take a fight for Celine to bring it up for the first time? Basically, in the hotel, this is not a communicating couple who love each other but are struggling through mutual feelings of resentment—this is a couple who may love each other, but have spent years bottling their resentment and then when the kids are gone, it explodes, and they're at each other's throats. Contemptuous, totally un-empathetic, and downright mean, both of them. It's like they haven't had a real conversation about their feelings in years. Jesse and Celine?
So why? That's why I'm bummed. Whatever the intention—undoubtedly honest and thoughtful— of the director and actors, I believe they took an extraordinary couple brought together by extraordinary, yet believable, circumstances—in their communication, at least, maybe even a healthy example to follow—and waited as long as possible before revealing them to be actually pretty ordinary after all, and not as special as we thought. And maybe not even to be inspired by. :-(
I would argue, though, that Before Midnight reduces Jesse and Celine both to flat characters; but only for the fight scene. I've seen each film in the trilogy only once, so I should be cautious in my judgment, but my first impression on seeing this one was that we do see the "real" Jesse and Celine for most of it—still chatting away, debating, poking fun at each other, and now, figuring out middle-aged family life together—but in the hotel, and certainly by the end of the fight, they've been transformed into a familiar, almost clichéd, dysfunctional couple.
Not that the real Jesse and Celine shouldn't deal with dysfunction, but if one thing has been established in their on-screen relationship, it's that they have always been able to talk to each other openly and for the most part, honestly. And perhaps more important, listen to each other. It's what makes their falling in love the day they meet believable. But in the hotel, they're simply not there.
I can believe Jesse would cheat on Celine and not tell her, but I can't believe that when confronted, he would ignore her question, and respond essentially by accusing her of questioning his commitment. It's familiar, it's understandable, and sadly, it's predictably male. But is it Jesse?
I can believe Celine would be bored, or seriously angry even, by Jesse's always having sex the same way, but would it take a fight for Celine to bring it up for the first time? Basically, in the hotel, this is not a communicating couple who love each other but are struggling through mutual feelings of resentment—this is a couple who may love each other, but have spent years bottling their resentment and then when the kids are gone, it explodes, and they're at each other's throats. Contemptuous, totally un-empathetic, and downright mean, both of them. It's like they haven't had a real conversation about their feelings in years. Jesse and Celine?
So why? That's why I'm bummed. Whatever the intention—undoubtedly honest and thoughtful— of the director and actors, I believe they took an extraordinary couple brought together by extraordinary, yet believable, circumstances—in their communication, at least, maybe even a healthy example to follow—and waited as long as possible before revealing them to be actually pretty ordinary after all, and not as special as we thought. And maybe not even to be inspired by. :-(
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