Midnight In Paris

Rating: 7/10 (20 May 2011)

Midnight In Paris follows a young writer in a visit to Paris with his fiancée where he travels all nights ninety years back in time to get advise and friendship from the literary geniuses of the time. Yes, it's another film from Woody Allen, but this time is not as routinary as You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger or as cheeky as Vicky Cristina Barcelona. This shows Woody Allen at the standard he should be at every year. Original, funny, engaging and with some light meaningful message that we all relate to; what else can you ask from a film?
The colors and cinematography of the film are more of the same of the post-Barcelona Allen, all beige and brownish, but he achieves a beauty in his portrayal of Paris that has not come from him since he first visited London with Match Point in 2005. It's also the most original screenplay he has written since, and the plot works and looks like one of his short stories, as a crazy, illogic and absurd showcase of gags and jokes.
The performances are all fine, nothing stellar though, except for Adrien Brody's magnificent role as Salvador Dalí. Owen Wilson does a very good job but he tries too much to be and act like Woody Allen. The impersonations are all great -Hemingway,Picasso, Buñuel, Fitzgerald- they all look exactly the same than in real life.
This is a film that will surely not disappoint any moviegoer or Allen fan. It's true that it doesn't come close to other of his better films, but it is a step forward from Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Cassandra's Dream, You Will Meet... and even Scoop and Whatever Works. Still, if you want to enjoy some true Woody Allen, go and see Annie Hall, Hannah And Her Sisters, Crimes And Misdemeanors, etc. This is not anything brilliant, but it is very entertaining, amusing and original; and it its a great time spent at the movies.
Midnight In Paris is a surreal and touristic romantic comedy with clever comical gags, a creative story and a beautiful portrayal of the City of Lights.
Rating: 3.5/5.