MovieChat Forums > Before Midnight (2013) Discussion > Celine's drastic transition in character...

Celine's drastic transition in character...


Anybody finds it weird that Celine in the first half of the movie was flirting and talking with Jesse like they're perfectly happy and then when they got to the hotel she suddenly popped out that "I don't love you anymore", but in the first half you can tell she's definitely very in love with Jesse.

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a) They're not perfectly happy. There is a lot of subtle resentment throughout the movie. They love each other but they do have problems in their marriage (she feels she does most of the childcare, he resents that they can't live near his son, she knows about his affair, etc. etc.)

b) She doesn't "suddenly pop out" that she doesn't love him. That line comes out after a massive, drawn-out fight.

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I was feeling angst almost immediately, Celine didn’t seem in love at all. They had a simmering hatred for each other which finally erupted in the hotel. Jessie tried to patch things up but Celine’s hatred was unstoppable and she delivered some fatal blows, ending with ‘I don’t love you anymore’.

I can’t see anyone recovering from a fight like that and didn’t buy her sudden ‘tell me about this time machine’. Only a brush with death or something similarly profound could fix someone this broken.

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Yeah, I personally interpreted that the ending meant that their relationship is over. They're running on fumes. Resentment and regrets had been building for years. The time machine bit was just a little bit of solace before it all ends...you might even say...before midnight :D

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The thing is, if they were to separate I’m not convinced they’d find anyone better or be happier. Jesse’s right, it may not be perfect but their relationship is about as good as you can reasonably expect one to be.

They should probably just get married and STFU, they’d be a lot happier.

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