Well done crowd pleaser with room for dissatisfaction.

Rating: 7/10 (7 June 2015)

My primary recommendation for this movie is: don't let the genre or the actors or anything else sway your decision to give it a try. I watched this movie in English class to learn about the Lost Generation writers and probably wouldn't have watched it by choice, but I'm glad I saw it. You don't have to like the comedy or the romance elements to enjoy it. It's light for the most part also has some deep moments, kind of like John Hughes movies. The progression of Gil's story is pretty interesting, but maybe I think that because I'm an aspiring but unpublished screenwriter and author like he is.
Our main character is Gil Pender (Owen Wilson), a fish out of water with his fiancé's family. Much of the first half hour involves the excitable and artistically inspired Gil trying to politely endure his fiancé Inez's (Rachel McAdams) high classed and touristy friends and parents. He is very taken by his idealized perception of Paris and the literary wonders he finds in. Inez gradually loses favor with Gil (and hopefully the audience) as she and Gil disagree more and more. If you get down to it, the root of most of their disagreements comes from differing artistic tastes. Her character is written well in that she has a lot of good off screen progression. Paul is very hateable from his constant repetition of "if I'm not mistaken . . ." to his big beard that's a lot sillier looking than he probably likes to think. Adrianna (Marion Cottilard) is written to be appealing to the audience in that her darker side is addressed rather than shown and in that she automatically clicks with Gil. The other minor characters that Gil meets throughout the city, present or past, are included mostly as traffic directors for the various story lines and make sure they don't take any detours even when the characters are included for comic relief.
The plot seems to move rather aimlessly as Gil enters deeper into the 1920's version of Paris that he finds. The two, or maybe three, story lines consist of Gil's confused relationships with his fiancé and his new love interest of Adrianna, and the smaller line of him gaining inspiration and guidance from his heroes of the past. SPOILER ALERT The plot culminates in Gil breaking up with Inez after she unsurprisingly cheats on him with Paul and Adrianna staying in her golden age of the 1890's Belle Epoque. The golden age theme is pretty interesting, and is really the only positive thing Paul contributes to Gil's life. I think it's a great theme because everyone has felt symptoms of it at some time, even if your golden age isn't actually a time period. But in the end, as Gil says, we have to accept the present and all the opportunities it gives. The time travel impacts Gil's life tremendously, but not in a Back to the Future way where he alters his past and present.
The script is pretty good, though it treads on some shaky ground with the historical figures since people might not like the way their favorite artist or author is portrayed. All of the actors give decent performances, but nobody really stands out. The jazz music adds a nice touch to the overall mood, though playing an entire song for the opening sequence was probably a bit much even if it was different.
I would lightly recommend this to pretty much anybody, except for those who absolutely abhor all forms of fantasy. You really have to just accept the time travel as given to enjoy it, just like with the implausible elements of Bedtime Stories, Inception, or any other movie where the plot basis balances on one thing that defies reality. If any of said films tried to explain how everything in their respective fictional universes, it would have screwed up the story. Midnight in Paris is a good pick if you're seeking a crowd pleaser, but it's better if you aren't tempted to talk with the people you're watching it with. The ending or characters might disappoint some. If you don't like the characters, at least the protagonists, after the conclusion of Gil's first midnight walk, the rest of it probably isn't worth your time. Overall Rating: 7.7/10.