Not an "Annie Hall," but very much worth seeing.

Rating: Null/10 (31 August 2011)

I stopped going to Woody Allen movies several years ago, when they had started to become pedantic (and let's be honest here) pretentious and self-importantly "deep." Woody Allen is still a very funny man, and I especially like his humor pieces in "The New Yorker." A couple of months ago, for old time's sake, I watched "Sleeper," and found it still funny.
The reviews of "Midnight in Paris," both from the media and personal friends, made me hope that it was as good as his early stuff. Maybe the years have colored my delightful memories of gasping for air as I watched those hilarious situations and dialog, but M.in P. isn't at the level of an "Annie Hall." Allen's early movies were daring and sometimes outrageous in a way that this one isn't.
Nevertheless, "Midnight in Paris" is a charming movie, full of clever dialog and witty inside jokes â€” Gil's suggestion to Luis Bunuel for a movie plot, and "recognizing" Hemingway's portentous dialog (it was spot-on Papa). Allen makes only a passing effort to cast actors who look like historical figures, which is fine, but Adrien Brody's riff on Salvador Dali, both the way he talks and the way he looks, is brilliant (I'm grinning as I write this).
A quibble, both about Gil's reference to people seeing Paris from outer space, and also from the perception of other reviewers: Historically, Paris is not "The City of Lights," it is "The City of Light." The original reference was by painters, who were drawn to the beautiful changes of natural light in the city. Anyone who has visited Paris knows exactly what they meant, and to assume that the reference is to a man-made phenomenon misses one of the loveliest aspects of Paris.