Woody Allen at his blissful best

Rating: 9/10 (25 March 2013)

The opening of 'Midnight in Paris' is not promising. The 41st film from Woody Allen begins with a montage that practically revels in the world of cliché with its depiction of Paris – there's people sitting outside cafés, some smooth jazz, flower shops, art galleries, berets, affluence, the Eiffel Tower; the only thing missing is a man in a striped top carrying a baguette. Then it's only ten minutes before Carla Bruni shows up. Essentially, it's an opening that is the polar opposite to the beginning of 'La Haine'. After this gorgeously-shot montage which felt almost like a tourist advertisement, I was uncertain about how the remainder of the film would pan out. Thankfully, any worry quickly evaporated as I found myself irresistibly charmed by it.
In line with Allen's 'The Purple Rose of Cairo' it sees the prolific filmmaker once again venturing into fantastical territory, as Gil (Owen Wilson), a Hollywood screenwriter holidays to Paris with his beau, Inez (Rachel McAdams) in the hope of successfully completing his debut novel, only to find himself magically whirled back in time, coincidentally to his favourite era – the Roaring Twenties. Here, he gets swept up in meeting a host of significant figures from the Parisian Café Society.
These twenties-set scenes were the shining highlights in all-round wonderful film. Tom Hiddleston's F. Scott Fitzgerald is tailored and well-spoken with an affinity for the phrase "old sport". Alison Pill's Zelda Fitzgerald is unpredictable and somewhat uncontrollable with a fondness for alcohol. Corey Stoll's Ernest Hemmingway spouts profound literary advice while retaining love for a good fisticuff ("You box?"). Adrian Brody's Salvador Dalí is expectedly eccentric and insists of the proper pronunciation of his name ("Da-lee!"). The movie is full of other such people that appear only briefly, but if like me, you share Gil's love for Café Society culture, you'll struggle not to smile when they show up.
I never really thought much of Owen Wilson as an actor, but here - essentially inhabiting the Woody Allen role - he proves to be a charming leading main and much like the film itself, very likable, because even though 'Midnight in Paris' is undeniably clichéd in its portrayal of Paris and the various historical figures, this all adds to the delightful charms of the movie. It is very light and even frothy entertainment, but this is a cracking little film that left a huge smile on my face. To use that saying Allen loves so dearly, it's "amusing". But y'know what? It's actually more than that, it's pure brilliance.