An homage to Paris

Rating: 8/10 (26 December 2011)

Mr. Allen had me at Â« Paris Â». What a wonderful tour of this beautiful city, and the revived color of the Roaring Twenties and the Belle Epoque. The premise was great (for people like me, who are people like Gil in the movie). How many times have we dreamers envisioned ourselves living in a garret, lolling for hours in some little bistro while we sipped a glass of wine or a cafÃ© allongÃ©. Like Gil, every time I get to Paris, I wear myself out wandering little side streets and stopping at out-of-the way bistros and brasseries to rest while I sit and absorb atmosphere. Unfortunately, in my little randonnÃ©es I never managed to step through that magical curtain into the past. Much as I enjoyed the film, the story line and color, I do feel that the whole structure was somewhat contrived. Boy, this guy got a chance to visit with just about every artist, painter, writer, filmmaker available as well as their copines, throwing in a glimpse of Josephine Baker to boot. He even went farther into the past for a visit to the Moulin Rouge. Throwing aside any relationship to reality, this was an absorbing and fun movie to watch. The soprano (I think) sax was sublime.