A Trip Down Memory Lane

Rating: Null/10 (13 June 2011)

Midnight in Paris (2011)
**** (out of 4)
A writer (Owen Wilson) and his fiancé (Rachel McAdams) travel to Paris where his walk through the streets after midnight will eventually change his life. After deciding to walk alone, the writer eventually gets picked up and travels back to Paris in the 1920s and comes face to face with such famous personalities as Ernest Hemingway, Zelda and Scott Fitgerald, Cole Porter, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso and Luis Bunuel among others. After these fantasy meetings the writer begins to rethink his position in life and what he wants for his future. MIDNIGHT IN Paris isn't a masterpiece as there are quite a few flaws and it's certainly not higher level Woody Allen but there's no denying that it's one of the most magical, charming and fun movies he's ever made. The film really is a mixture of MANHATTAN and PLAY IT AGAIN SAM, which certainly isn't a bad thing. Those who have seen MANHATTAN will remember that the film started off with clips of the city and the same thing happens here as the movie opens with various lovely shots of Paris. The fantasy angle of the film is something we've seen from Allen in movies like PLAY IT AGAIN SAM and even EVERYONE SAYS I LOVE YOU had a great fantasy sequence at the end. You can't help but think Allen must have had a field day writing the screenplay and I think the results really show on the screen because there's just a certain charm and joy that bleeds in every scene and I honestly don't remember a single second where I didn't have a big smile on my face. In an early scene we get a dialogue bit where the characters talk about Wilson's character being in love with the past and how he thinks the "golden age" was back in the 20s. I'm sure Allen fantasizes about this as well and this comes across in the screenplay because when the fantasy aspect kicks in and Wilson starts meeting all these famous people you can't help but fall in love with the scenery, the words and of course the streets of Paris. People have been talking this up as a romantic comedy and in many ways it is but at the same time you have to admire the way Allen works the reality and the fantasy and you can't help but think that he was saying that quite often the fantasy is much better than any reality you can put yourself in.
Since Allen started taking major gaps in between his acting, there have been quite a few people try and fill his shoes and the results are always very hit and miss. Wilson perfectly nails this character because you can believe that naive nature of the guy but he's also relaxed enough to where you can get into the story and follow it. The screenplay bleeds with joy about meeting these famous people but Wilson really sells it and that astonished look he gets on his face when he meets these people helps sell the stories. Wilson is so great in the role that you can't help but wish he and Allen would do more films. McAdams is as charming as ever and plays that "Allen female" just fine. Adrien Brody is terrific as Salvador and Kathy Bates gets a good part as Gertrude Stein. As great as everyone is, it's Mario Cotillard who steals the film as Adriana, a mistress to Modigliani and Picasso and the one who really strikes it up with Wilson's character. Cotillard is so beautiful and her natural charm just leap off the screen and you can't help but fall in love with her as she's certainly one of the greatest characters in any recent Allen film. The chemistry between her and Wilson is terrific and she really does look and feel like someone from this era.
I'm sure many people won't understand all the characters and I'm sure many people might watch MIDNIGHT IN Paris and be confused at who these famous faces are. Let's be real, in today's world not everyone is going to know these famous names and they're going to miss many jokes. There's even a terrific and hilarious bit about Bunuel's THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL that is going to be missed by some viewers but if you know the film then it's going to be a classic example of writing and comic timing. MIDNIGHT IN Paris clearly isn't meant to be taking overly serious since, after all, we're dealing with a man living out a fantasy in the 1920s Paris but Allen gives so much detail to his characters that you can't help but fall in love with them and the city. It's clearly a love letter to not only Paris but these wild characters who Allen wanted to have some fun with.