Enlightening, beautiful and funny....all at the same time

Rating: 9/10 (12 June 2011)

Something very surprising about Woody Allen films is that you never even know when they're released......let alone even know he's directing them. The past three Woody Allen movies i have seen have all been great, and it strikes me as odd to see that his movies are not highly publicized. I mean, the guy has been directing movies for almost 30 years now. You would figure that his movies would be everywhere.
Once again, Woody Allen has impressed the hell out of me. He does such an amazing job of taking something so simplistic, and making it beautiful and extraordinary. The main character Gil, played by Owen Wilson (who i normally hate, but actually liked in this movie), is a struggling writer who walks the streets of Paris at night, and is somehow thrown back in time each night and has chance encounters with some of the most notable artist and writers of that time period. I know it may sound somewhat bazaar, but Allen sells it in the most entertaining fashion.
Confronting Dali, Hemmingway, Picaso, Scott Fitzgerald, T.S. Elliot.....these are all people who appreciate the arts dream of conversing with. Allen knows this, and creates this romantic yet humorous cloud around each of these chance encounters. If you have any appreciation for the arts or fine literature, you will love the set-up of this movie.
As far as acting, it's pretty damn good. I know earlier i said how i normally hate Owen Wilson but i loved him this picture. But the real bread winner in this movie is Marion Cotillard. In the past, Woody has always done a fine job of making his lead female 'oh so' very seductive and erotic. The writing for her character is there......but Marion took it and did something truly incredible with it. Every frame she was in made my mouth fall flat to the floor. The way she spoke and the way she evoked emotion with her eyes......it was almost too much for me to handle. Im my opinion, she is the front runner for best actress so far this year.
Bottom Line.....it was a very enjoyable piece of work. One of the best i have seen so far this year. Since this movie wasn't heavily publicized, it felt like discovering a little gem that not everyone knows about, and it makes it a little more fun. And in the long run, i think that's why Woody doesn't go for the main stream theater.....he goes for the romance of watching a movie. And this movie definitely proves that point.