MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (N/A)
Release Date: Not released
Running Time: 94 minutes
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Director: Woody Allen
Screenplay: Woody Allen
Starring: Owen Wilson, Marion Cotillard, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, Carla Bruni, Lea Seydoux, Corey Stoll
Plot: This is a romantic comedy set in Paris about a family that goes there because of business, and two young people who are engaged to be married in the fall have experiences there that change their lives. It's about a young man's great love for a city, Paris, and the illusion people have that a life different from theirs would be much better. It stars Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Kathy Bates, Carla Bruni, among others. REVIEWS AFTER THE JUMP
Review: Woody Allen returns to his best. Not only does the return marked with a new romantic comedy that is so eccentric, but also a glimpse back into his magic of making film. ‘Midnight in Paris’ is an unusual tale of love between individuals who furthermore takes into an account of magical fantasy that is equally delighting. This Woody Allen’s latest worthwhile trip to the ever-enchanting city of Paris will put his recent poorly-accepted efforts into the casket and cremates it for good. Oh boy, here comes the Woody Allen I know.
‘Midnight in Paris’ opens with a couple on holiday in Paris with her parents arriving for establishing a new joint business venture. Gil (Owen Wilson) and Inez (Rachel McAdams) are the lovebird which seems to have polar opinions about almost everything. Gil insists on his love for Paris during the rainy springtime while Inez prefers their American dream house in Malibu. Gil is a Hollywood screenwriter who has some sort of trouble starting a new career resume to write the novel. By odds, Gil’s midnight strolls around the streets of Paris are magically transformed into an enchanting era of 1920s when he meets some of the legends of art and literatures. Gil’s life is forever changed since then.
‘Midnight in Paris’ has an interesting plot structure to be enjoyed by anyone who may have rich exposure to literature or not. The heavy references to some of the greatest writers whom have emerged during this era of 1920s will excite the earnest literature and art lovers. Fortunate enough that there is a little need to immerse fully in the cultural knowledge. Apparently true that you have heard something or little about Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Stein, Dali, Cole Porter, Picasso or T.S. Eliot; or probably you haven’t. It is okay but surely the mass introduction of many characters is a mesmerizing addition to the story. To some, it can be so perplexed, yet an enrichment of the flavor to the plot itself.
For the majority of the storyline, the audiences will be transported along with our protagonist into a different era. ‘Golden-age thinking’ is probably the best phrase to describe Gil’s persona. Then, it is a very relaxing and amusing journey that very much aligns the theme notion of reliving the nostalgia. Woody Allen is well-known for his constant believing of the necessities of balancing the nostalgia and modernism he loved most. There, he does it with sweetness in pouring the sugary-coated layers onto the structure. He demonstrates plenty of fun and wild side-stories; most of the time is accurate to its truth in highlighting the rich characters and the real deal with whom they are. I bet what Allen is doing is to share his fondness of music, art and literature to the young and olds of cinema-goers.
The charms in the movie are further enhanced by a range of excellent actors and actresses. Owen Wilson alter-egos Gil with full embodiment of the illusion-wanderer of the past with a bright sunshine of California folded under him. He is the essential carrier of the plot, fueled with sensuality and enthusiasm. On the opposite, Inez as played by our lovely Rachel McAdams is a total polarity to Gil – full of brightness but also at times been shallow and a strong contrast; perhaps the only closest to be an antagonist. Then, you have a lot of beautiful peoples from the past and present. You have Adriana (Marion Cotillard) is an effective love interest to Gil, the Fitzgeralds (Tom Hiddleston and Alison Phil), Ernest Hemingway (unrecognized Corey Stoll), Gabrielle (Lea Seydoux), Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates) and the museum guide (Carla Bruni, the wife of French president) to fill in the story.
In the end, ‘Midnight in Paris’ is a charmer Woody Allen’s film that possesses its unique classical and sentimental values with a strong embracement for the vivid nostalgia and living in the modernism Esquire of life. With a boost of an enjoyable and mesmerizing plot; combines with a range of beautiful castings, ‘Midnight in Paris’ is the movie to catch.
MY RATING:
Story: 4.0
Casts: 4.0
Cinematography: 4.5
Effects: 4.0
GREEN-TEA-O-METER: 16.1/20.0
'THE TREE OF LIFE' is nominated for BEST PICTURE, BEST DIRECTOR (Woody Allen), BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY (Woody Allen) and BEST ART DIRECTION (Anne Seibel and Hélène Dubreuil) for the 84th Academy Awards