A Classic Nostalgic Woody Allen Charmer

Rating: 8/10 (4 January 2012)

When I first heard the lead character of "Midnight in Paris" talk, I thought it was Woody Allen talking. But when I looked at the screen, I saw Owen Wilson! I do not know if Owen was purposely doing it, but he was channeling Woody Allen perfectly in intonation and diction. Maybe it was the characteristic style Woody Allen wrote his script, I don't know but it was so uncanny and this added to my enjoyment of this film.
"Midnight in Paris" is about a movie scriptwriter and struggling novelist Gil (Owen Wilson) who was trapped in a stifling relationship with his snooty fiancée Inez (Rachel Mc Adams). This becomes more evident during their supposedly romantic vacation in Paris, when Inez spending more time with her snobbish parents and her "pseudo- intellectual pedantic" male friend Paul (Michael Sheen). To escape, Gil takes a midnight walk in the side streets of Paris, and was magically transported to the 1920s where he encounters his literary heroes like Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll), and Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates). He also meets and falls in love with Pablo Picasso's muse Adriana (Marion Cotillard). How Gil faces and resolves this unusual situation is the unique premise of this delightful little Woody Allen masterpiece.
"Midnight in Paris" is a very charming movie. It is about yearning for something much better than what you have now. It had me from the get- go, very interesting right away. The initial five minutes of beautiful Parisian scenes and music will put you in the proper mood right away and never let you go. People who loves literature and the arts will certainly share Gil's excitement and fascination about actually meeting these authors in the flesh. Cameos by Dali (a funny turn by Adrien Brody), Fitzgerald, Bunuel, Matisse, and even Toulouse-Lautrec, Degas and Gauguin further add to the nostalgia. I have some quibbles only about Gil finding Adriana's book, but that is minor. Only Woody Allen can make an off-the-wall movie like this and get away with it! A definite must-watch!