Midnight in Paris (2011)

Midnight in Paris is Woody Allen’s ode to the city of romance, bringing it to life through the world of writing, music and art in the 1920s. The opening shots are just of the city, not unlike the opening to Manhattan, which sets the mood and romanticizes Paris in the same way he romanticized New York City. It has the makings of one of his great romantic comedies, and all the familiar elements are there: the protagonist, Gil (Owen Wilson), is a liberal upper-class writer struggling to move away from his main stream commercial movie scripts and complete his novel. His fiancée Inez (Rachel McAdams) doesn’t understand him (or care to), her parents don’t like him, and she’s friends with intellectual snobs who think they know everything about everything and are only too happy to display their infinite knowledge (Michael Sheen plays a spectacular ass). He’s unhappy and yet deeply inspired by Paris, the city he and his fiancée are vacationing in. One night, after having too much wine, he gets lost and ends up alone on a set of steps outside an alley. At the stroke of midnight, an old car approaches and its occupants urge him to enter. He does and finds himself whisked away to the night life of Paris in the ‘20s, where he meets famous writers and artists. He parties with F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston and Alison Pill), he discusses his book with Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll) and Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates), he even encounters Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali (Adrien Brody). The most alluring feature of the ‘20s turns out to be a woman he falls in love with named Adriana, played by Marion Cotillard who illuminates the screen like one of the great beauties of classic Hollywood. 

Owen Wilson & Rachel McAdams

The whimsy and tone of the movie is perfect, making his nightly trips through time feel as natural as his frequent daytime walks in the city. Like the sights during the day, the timeless aspect of the Paris night life is just another part of the city. These scenes are shot with a slight yellow tint, making every image look like it’s illuminated with a golden glow, heightening the romance of the period. Paris in the ‘20s is shot to look exactly as the golden age Gil dreams it was, a place where geniuses could be found on every street going to lavish parties with the city at its best; full of charm and splendor. Seeing the historical characters talking and interacting is surreal to both the audience and Gil himself. He spends most of his first visit completely mystified by his surroundings, but soon allows himself to accept and enjoy it. Owen Wilson is the obvious stand in for Woody Allen, but he doesn’t feel like a simple replacement. Owen Wilson is very laid back and low key compared to the more neurotic performances of Woody Allen in the past. Even though many of these traits can still be seen and heard in the dialogue, Owen Wilson makes it his own. His delivery and timing is uniquely his and combined with the dialogue he becomes a more original character, as well as one of Owen Wilson’s best performances. The rest of the cast is interesting as well, with Rachel McAdams playing a very unlikable fiancée, constantly ordering Gil around and being condescending to him nearly every time he speaks. Her parents (Kurt Fuller and Mimi Kennedy) are no better, but quite funny with their open dislike of Gil. The onslaught of performances that make up the many famous names Gil encounters in his travels are amusing, with the most memorable being Corey Stoll as the disgruntled and outspoken Ernest Hemingway. The dialogue is sharp and witty, making for some very humorous scenes. Gil has a great exchange with the surrealists as he tries to explain his bizarre situation to them and they understand it perfectly. Though all of their scenes are fairly brief, they are no less entertaining. 

At the heart of the movie is Gil’s attachment to the past, his love of a time long before his, when everything was “better”. The people who lived during what we may see as a golden age probably saw an earlier time as a golden age. The idea of an earlier time being better than the present has always been around. It’s certainly easy to agree with Gil’s romantic notions, given the people he’s around during the present, but the real lesson comes when he’s ready to accept and find happiness in his own time; to be content and feel fulfilled in his own surroundings. It’s something that can apply to anyone, and one reason why Gil is an easy character to relate to. It’s one of the best Woody Allen films in recent memory and although Midnight in Paris is a beautifully shot and whimsical film it’s still one that has a strong undercurrent of emotional value and truth.