1. How It Ends
WARNING: SPOILERS FOR THE END OF THE FILM WILL FOLLOW. The tension inherent throughout Before Midnight is whether or not Jesse and Celine will stay together at the end, overcoming their problems or simply throwing in the towel and admitting when enough is enough. It's touch-and-go right up to the last minute, but Linklater smartly decides not to commit himself too clearly to any one particular outcome. Though inconclusive endings are frustratingly in vogue at the moment, the note of ambiguity that the film ends on - in which Jesse and Celine are seated at the restaurant as pictured above - makes it clear that the pair are going to try to work through their problems, though we have absolutely no idea whether they will succeed or not. The truly dumb decision would have been for the film to end with them just breaking up. Not only would it be too heart-wrenching to handle, but it would not have sufficiently reflected the ambiguous, often tenuous nature of relationships; Jesse and Celine are left dangling by a vague thread of hope at the end of Midnight, which reflects the uncertainty of actual relationships, and indeed, real life. Have you seen Before Midnight yet? Let us know what you thought in the comments below.