Interesting thread here considering on another thread I have engaged in a lengthy discussion of how there really was no real prior indication that Alex was married.
In fairness to those who here claim, even if not accurately, that they perhaps at least saw it as a possible turn in the narrative, well of course someone who was engaging in an affair as shown here COULD have been married. The whole affair took place away from her everyday life, and what that everyday life might have consisted of could have included a husband and children.
The problem, though, at least as I saw it, is that Alex gave many signals that she was not married. The lack of foreshadowing in that regard, I think is precisely what made the plot turn so powerful. Yes as someone noted the flying into Chicago did raise some wonder at how she would react to his surprising her. But I think it was not too much conjecture on my part that Ryan was planning on using such a visit as an occasion to ratchet up the seriousness and involvement of their relationship, following on their weekend at his sister's wedding. In other words there was dramatic tension leading up to the scene. But was there any foreshadowing that she was married, that the same person we saw talking about "settling", who had gone with RYan to the wedding, who saw how he was changing in the way he acted toward her, would have done all that and been married?
Not only do I think not, but the lack of foreshadowing was what gave the plot turn its power. Surprise! Well, I certainly was surprised.
But there is a problem with that, since the way she acted before made her being married either implausible if she was seen as mentally balanced, or plausible only if she was a kind of sociopath. And if the latter, what is the point of her character?
In short I see this as a flaw in the film. Anyone interested might enjoy the discussion starting here:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1193138/board/thread/232649358?p=1
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