MIDNIGHT IN PARIS – Reviewed by Joyce

I loved this movie. Midnight in Paris was lauded by the critics as well, and is up, so far, for Golden Globe and Independent Spirit awards. The DVD release has been much anticipated. Woody Allen has written a wonderful screenplay that is both unique and also evocative of some of his older work. The movie is a somewhat indefinable amalgam of a number of genres: it’s a romantic comedy, an absurdist satire, a way cool history lesson, and sometimes it’s just Woody’s particular brand of wry humor and whimsy.

The setting is Paris, and the cinematography is a beautiful complement to the storyline. And speaking of the storyline…

Owen Wilson plays Gil, a successful Hollywood screenwriter who wants to be a “real” writer, and feels unsure about his talent. He is in Paris with his fiancée, Inez, (Rachel McAdams, both beautiful and comedic) and Inez’s politically conservative parents. Gil romanticizes the idea of actually living in Paris. He also romanticizes the past and shares with all of us the feeling that the present, by its very nature, is a little dissatisfying. In this story, Gil is given the opportunity to do some “time travel” and come to terms with that yearning to find a “Golden Age” that is always in the past, and that holds some magnetic appeal.

During the course of this “time travel”, we get to meet Salvador Dali (we haven’t seen you this good since The Pianist, Adrien Brody), Ernest Hemingway (madly in love with Corey Stoll in this role), F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Cole Porter, Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates nails it), Pablo Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec, T.S. Eliot, Luis Buñuel, and on and on. The supporting cast, A to Z, are all great.

Before seeing the movie, I was really wondering about Owen playing this part. I had associated him fondly with films like Bottle Rocket and The Royal Tenenbaums, and while I totally enjoyed those films, I thought that he was too light, or maybe too goofy, for the role of Gil. I was really wrong. He was perfect for the role, and I can’t see anyone else even playing it. Gil is a kind of Everyman, and Owen embodies him exactly, with the requisite combo of intelligence, vulnerability, skepticism, and openness.

One last thing to mention is the soundtrack. What an awesome treat. Jazz, Cole Porter, Flamenco guitar, Can-Can, Josephine Baker, some French stuff, and a lot more.  An outstanding contribution to the viewing experience.

And the other one last thing: there’s only one “Special Feature”, and that’s a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival for Midnight in Paris. It’s pretty short and well worth checking out.

Thank you, Woody. I can’t wait to see what comes next. – [DVD] [Blu-Ray]