Love the Literary Period

Rating: 9/10 (25 May 2012)

I was really absorbed in this film. My loving connection with that Paris group got me off on the right foot. I know they are stock characters, but the pretentious idiocy of the future family of the Owen Wilson (Woody Allen) gives us a guy to root for. The tiresome being of the woman he is to marry would lead me to want her to be found floating face up in the Seine. Anyway, the fantasy world of the great writers is done charmingly with a second food in the present. It never gets silly and contrived with a limited amount of the conflict that other comedic directors could not handle. He slowly makes the rounds of his dreams and follows them, and the earth doesn't collapse. Actually, the woman in question really gets what she actually wanted. I won't spoil it by saying what that is. The characters vary in effectiveness. It was nice to see the portrayal of the young Hemingway with his bravado and insensitivity, even a touch of naiveté. There are romantic symbols and the cinematography is gorgeous. I know some think Owen Wilson is an odd choice for the protagonist, but I find him endearing and so patient. Also, there has been criticism that it's not edgy enough. The movie never tries to be a social statement. It's much more personal. When we leave the theater we feel that we have been involved in a little secret. The Philistines have been conquered in their own way and allowed to go on with their insipid, self-important lives.