C'est magnifique!

Rating: Null/10 (19 October 2011)

Woody Allen's best movie in years, happily reminiscent of PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO, the most endearing of his collaborations with Mia Farrow. Owen Wilson, standing-in for Allen himself, is klutzy without being self-pitying. Marion Cotillard is totally ravishing as Picasso's latest squeeze - as Wilson observes, she gives a whole new meaning to "art groupie".
Kathy Bates was probably chosen to play Gertrude Stein because of her, ahem, physique but she dives into the role with relish. Corey Stoll's Hemingway not only looks a lot like old (or rather, young) Ernie but he is given the movie's best lines: he talks like he writes, short sentences with a lot of "ands" and frequent references to guns, booze, lions and women. Cole Porter mostly sings. Zelda Fitzgerald mostly drinks while Scott frets. There are some good gags at the expense of Michael Sheen's annoying know-it-all art expert in the modern storyline when Wilson comes back with stories from the artists and models themselves. Wilson's airhead fiancée and his future in-laws-from-hell stop just short of caricature in a movie that relies for its existence on finding the balancing spot between parody and affectionate tribute.
The transitions from Today to (more than one) Yesterday are achieved without any resort to special effects, the Paris locations and sets are simply "magnifique", the music (lots of accordion) is almost too good. The mood is kept light and the whole film teeters on the brink of being lightweight without ever becoming crass.
This would be a great comedy in any era.