Directed by Woody Allen, Starring: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, and Marion Cotillard
Midnight in Paris (2011) IMDB says: “A romantic comedy about a family traveling to the French capital for business. The party includes a young engaged couple forced to confront the illusion that a life different from their own is better.”
FYI, if you haven’t been following this movie and have no idea what the twisty plot device is you may not want to read this review.
Jess: Let me start by saying that I am not going to get too in detail about anything that happens in this movie because it’s really one that you need to experience first hand. The IMDB description is a very safe way to put what happens in this movie because it leaves out the whole supernatural/time travel element that I believe most people who know anything about this movie would know by now.
What I will say about the plot is that Owen Wilson’s character, Gil Pender transports back to what he considers the golden age: 1920’s Paris, where a whole host of well known writers and authors consorted together, in what was dubbed the Lost Generation. I will say upfront that if you aren’t too familiar with these people beyond name recognition a lot of dialogue will probably be lost on you. Not to say that you won’t enjoy it, but you just might miss a lot of the nuances in these actors’ portrayals. The story does not slow down to teach you who any of these people are. And I am definitely not boasting to be the most cultured person, so I wasn’t familiar with a few figures and in those moments I felt a little left out of the joke. There’s much to enjoy on the surface, so don’t let this count you out from viewing it though! I think there will be two levels of enjoyment–those that will appreciate it as a tale, and those that will understand on a more intellectual level.
Now to get into my impressions. The charm and wit in this movie are deserved of a best screenplay nomination in my book. Allen writes himself into Gil of course, and boy does Gil have dialogue after dialogue that is truly inspired. He is the characterization of nostalgia, which is definitely a resounding theme that is captured perfectly in this film. His character’s story arc is able to wrap up in a completely fulfilling way. WIlson may not be the most praised actor, but he does a fine job in this film. I have always appreciated how smart he is from his writing/acting work with Wes Anderson, and he excels again under Allen’s direction. I think he has an extremely charismatic way about him, and it shines here.
I definitely have to remark that the supporting cast was so dynamic and marvelous in their roles. Allison Pill (Scott Pilgrim) and Tom Hiddleston (Thor) embody the Fitzgeralds, Corey Stoll (Salt) is pinpoint as Hemingway, and Adrien Brody was especially enjoyable as Dali. In the present day, Michael Sheen plays a perfectly douchey intellectual (an Allen staple) and Rachel McAdams leaves her usual charm behind to play Gil’s fiance who is lacking in all his romantic qualities. And lastly, the character that is the city of Paris was so lovely that it made me want to hop on a plane as soon as I left the theater! If I had to pick one adjective to describe this film it would have to be vibrant. From the cinematography to the score to the interactions of characters, everything is just so full of life.
Personally I consider myself a Woody Allen fan, despite only seeing about 8 of his films, but come on! He has an insane filmography that I might be able to get through at some point. I can see myself being able to watch this movie over and over again, just like I can with Annie Hall or Manhattan. Granted my score is probably much, much higher than most other FTS-ers would rate it but this film was just perfectly in line with my tastes. I think that Roger Ebert had the best way of putting how I feel about this movie in his review: “There is nothing to dislike about it. Either you connect with it or not. I’m wearying of movies that are for “everybody” — which means, nobody in particular. “Midnight in Paris” is for me, in particular, and that’s just fine with moi.” This definitely isn’t a film that will resound with all audiences, but for those it does, it will be treasured.
FTS SCORE:
95%
90-100% Almost perfect film. All time favorite.