A decent kind of job from Allen

Rating: 7/10 (11 December 2015)

So often we hear that Woody Allen is "back to his best" and that he is producing work that maybe even matches that of his critically acclaimed works decades ago, this movie I feel though does not match those claims. Take nothing away from this film, it is a good one and it is pretty fun with some well created characters and a witty script, it isn't however a great movie and that I feel is the least it has to be if it is to be considered one of Allen's best. The story is a fantasy basically and how a Hollywood screenwriter visiting Paris (although with hopes to live there one day) is whisked back and forth at the stroke of midnight into the 1920's, full of famous faces.
The film feels like it's Woody Allen not just from the pretty quirky story but just the music that is used, if you walked in on this film and had no idea what it was, the music I feel would show you it is one of Allen's. The film explores the Paris of the past that inspired the very best of writers, painters and entertainers and really brings at least a fresh story with it, one that is fairly un- generic as well. I don't think the movie excels massively in the comedy area but does have the odd good laugh and when most jokes are done they are smartly done, but not always though that laughable.
Owen Wilson is Gil Pender the man who is travelling back, Wilson is pretty nice in the role and is extremely calm, I swear this is one of the most laid back acting performances ever. The cast is full of names like Michael Sheen, Kurt Fuller, Kathy Bates, and Marion Cotillard and also features Rachel McAdams who as Wilson's extremely annoying fiancée is really hard to like, but acted well though. Allen brings together a cast that can seem randomly placed, new people arrive around every corner and some are just never seen again, Allen paces this pretty fast but does manage to slow it down when it needs to be at least.
You know Woody Allen doesn't do a bad job at all of directing and writing this but also at the same time doesn't make this fantastic, even with the nice fantasy element he fails to make this completely charming. There is no doubt Allen is considered one of the masters of the romantic comedy genre but here is no mastery, it is good work but is far from the level most expect of Allen, some may find this excellent but for me this is just straight good and no more. I don't think Allen makes mistakes but this I just feel is not made at a great enough quality as all.
So Midnight in Paris is a Woody Allen work that probably won't rank highly in his catalogue but is easily a welcome addition and is recommendable, and not only to the fans of the man in the directors chair. I think it's the kind of thing that all can enjoy and it doesn't focus so much on the romantic element that it becomes bogged down in it, it mixes the fantasy into it very well too so that the story becomes nicely balanced, oh and add a little comedy to that balancing act too.