Midnight in Paris

Midnight in Paris , a film directed by Woody Allen, was the first movie in a while that I wanted to rewatch the minute it ended. The story revolves around Gil Pender (Owen Wilson), a successful Hollywood screenwriter who struggles on his first novel. In the beginning we find Gil and his fiancee Inez (Rachel McAdams) in Paris, tagging along Inez's upscale parents who are there in a business trip. Gil, being there, finds his dreams of moving to Paris and focusing on literature more alive than ever, something that Inez does not relate to – she "could never live outside the United States". They bump into a friendly couple, Paul and Carol, with whom they start spending time. One night, Gil takes a walk in the city alone, when a car stops by and takes him to a "parallel" Paris in the '20s, Gil's favorite combination of time and place, where he meets some of his literature idols, such as Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston) and Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll), as well as other artistic prominent people, such as Picasso (Marcial di Fonzo Bo) and Dali (Adrien Brody) – apparently Paris was bursting with artistic personalities during that decade. He also meets Adriana (Marion Cotillard), a muse and lover of some of those artists. Returning to the present later at night, Gil has found new inspiration to focus on his novel and he makes sure he finds the car the next midnight to be taken to the '20s again.

After seeing Owen Wilson in this role, I don't want to try to think of anyone else in it. He combined innocence, a slight awkwardness as well as distinctive amusing mannerisms and a way of talking that actually reminded me of Woody Allen a little bit. Rachel McAdams is always lovely, except that as Inez she was annoying being so impressed by her show-off friend, Paul. ("Gil, just pay attention. You might learn something." - ugh!). She, Michael Sheen as Paul and Nina Arlanda as his wife Carol made a great fictionary team of obnoxious - at times- adults who seem to be more comfortable with  "consuming" culture than actually living it.

The depictions of the '20s artists were quite inspired. Like the "celebrity couple" of the Fitzgeralds, played by Tom Hiddleston as Scott with his kind presence and clear american accent, calling Gil "old sport" like Gatsby did in his novel, and Alison Pill, so amusing as Zelda with her babbling south-american talk (by the way, Zelda was diagnosed with bipolar disorder later in the '30s). Even more notable was Corey Stoll as Hemingway, talking in a no-nonsense way, connecting his sentences with many "ands" when sober, and looking for fights when drunk. Adrien Brody was hilarious as Dali. As for Marion Cotillard as Adriana, she was perfectly lovely as always, but in an expected and safe way – hey, just my opinion.


I've got to admit, I was charmed by this view of Paris in the '20s, a vivid place full of parties and artistic personalities, all mingling together· it certainly contrasted Gil's early version of the present, where people will get a 20,000$ antique chair to feel sophisticated. Woody Allen presented the intellectual scene of that era in such an alluring and cosy way. All in all, it is a funny but not air-headed film with an original story, many entertaining references and not even one case of bad acting or miscasting (I would say). As if the gorgeous shots of Paris were not enough.

 

The film is full of smart funny lines, but:

Favorite line: "That was Djuna Barnes? No wonder she wanted to lead."

Are you looking for that song?