'MIDNIGHT IN PARIS'

Midnight in Paris (2011)
-Midnight in Paris... mmm. Such a beautiful title. Just rolls off the tongue. If your ever unhappy one day... just recite those three words out loud numerous times. Something about that title just soothes me.

Anyway, now to the film. Now ever since the 21st Century began, Woody Allen has been quite inconsistent. But I mean, the guy HAS BEEN writing and directing a film every single year for the past 40 years, so... come on now. What do you think he is, Superman?!? He's also 76 years old. Out of all the films he has made in the past 11-12 years, I thoroughly enjoyed Match Point, Vicky Christina Barcelona, and Hollywood Ending. But Midnight in Paris? This is a true gem. Absolutely gorgeous.

Now the film centers on Owen Wilson (in one of his best roles since The Life Aquatic) as a hack Hollywood screenwriter who travels to Paris with his neglectful, overbearing fiancee played by the ever so beautiful, Rachel MacAdams. The two do not agree on anything. The film opens up with Wilson telling MacAdams how he wishes to move to Paris so he can write more novels, which completely goes over MacAdams' head. She wishes to stay in Malibu and live an ordinary, traditional life. Wilson's character throughout the film is always talking about his literary idols. Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Joyce, etc... Then one evening, after his fiancee goes off dancing with a couple friends, he takes a stroll around midnight through the city of Paris and finds himself back in the 1920's and having drinks with get this... ERNEST HEMINGWAY AND F. SCOTT FITZGERALD! His dreams come true. What proceeds is simply a test of his engagement. Should he stay in Paris and jeopardize his relationship? Or move back to California and continue writing bad screenplays?

The film is so beautifully shot and wonderfully executed. Makes you want to move to Paris right away. When I first found out that Owen Wilson was headlining the film, I thought to myself..."Wow. Woody's really getting old, isn't he..." But that personality that some might find annoying of Owen Wilson is so perfect for his character in this film. You connect with him. You understand his frustrations. You sympathize with him. He just wants to be happy. Rachel MacAdams is wonderful as his 'could care less' fiancee who is more interested in Paul (played by a very irritating, unlikable Michael Sheen) as a 'know it all' nemesis of Owen Wilson, who he suspects she is having an affair with.

Other supporting stand outs are Corey Stoll (from Law & Order: L.A.) who is spot on as Hemingway, practically stealing the show every time he appears on screen. Adrian Brody as an hysterical Salvadore Dali. A performance that makes you remember how good Brody really is. Kathy Bates as the motherly loving Gertrude Stein. But the finest and most memorable I'll admit is the beautiful Marion Cotilliard as Adriana, who Wilson's character begins to fall in love with. I'm tellin ya, if Cotilliard keeps up the rate she's going with the roles she's taking??? She'll go down in history as one of the finest actresses on the planet. You just fall in love with her on screen. I couldn't take my eyes off her. Not once. A natural beauty. And a helluva an actress.

Midnight in Paris is a terrific date movie, Paris being the 'city of love' of course. So men? Bring your women to this film immediately if you want to earn some extra brownie points. The cast is great. The cinematography's excellent. The characters work. The message is wonderful. Everything worked for me in this film. I highly recommend it. And if your a Woody Allen fan? All the more.


SINCERELY,
FILMBOY

ENTRY QUOTE:
"Being a screenwriter in Hollywood is like being a eunuch at an orgy." - Albert Brooks