Not bad, but still an arm's length from great(ness)

Rating: Null/10 (6 August 2011)

There are so many copycatting like ingredients tossed into the scenarios and storyline, mixed up and dissolved into this Woody Allen's movie: "Cinderella" the cartoon, "Somewhere in Time", "Time Traveler's Wife", and so many other Sci-fi and romantic movies and novels. The 12 o'clock midnight charm is definitely from Cinderella, the big antique car is like the chariot from a pumpkin; meeting a dream woman and becoming so obsessed is just like what the male met his fatal female in "somewhere in Time", the only thing turns out better is the guy in Midnight in Paris didn't become a tragic character in the end but a happy one instead.
I often questioned the overly exaggeration of making Paris the most romantic city in the world. Seems everything in Paris is exquisite and sublime. This is obviously a scam manipulated by the international tourism and the French. A city actually is no different from other cities in any country, people live in it shitting, crapping, eating, fornicating, urinating, sneezing, coughing....as any other city dwellers doing daily. What's the big deal? Walking in the rain falling in Paris is more romantic than falling in other cities? Maybe just a little better than the rain that falls in China, less acid and pollution? The movie also would only resonant to those who know a little bit of French and American literature, some basic common knowledge of the art world, about Picasso, Dali, Manet. Without knowing these fundamental French/American Literature For The Dummies and Art History 101, I really doubt those majority video gamers would give a rat arse about this movie. And I am quite sure that this movie is only for the people who still read and not even the kind who really read on Kindle.
With all things considered and said, I have to say signing Owen Wilson up to do this character was 50/50 good and bad at the same time. The way he talks, the way he spit out the dialog is not quite likable, as his mouth and lips often twisted in a weird way, and exactly sounds like what his fiancée's father said: "There's part of his brain missing". He doesn't look convincing and believable as a writer and sometimes a bit immature, childish and lukewarm. There are many characters played by other actors and actresses are very convincing, but the character played by him, unfortunately, nobody but Owen Wilson, with a funny nose and mouth.