I just returned from a trip to Paris – well, at least that’s how it feels after watching the Sony Pictures Classics movie, Midnight in Paris. Â The movie opens with the traditional tourist scenes of Paris: Â Notre Dame; Eiffel Tower; bridges over the Seine; Arc de Triomphe and continues to give us a beautiful tour of a beautiful city.
Oh yes, and there is a story! Â Owen Wilson plays a romantic Hollywood writer who wants to try to write literature, instead of the movie scripts that earn him money, but not satisfaction. Â He is visiting Paris with his fiance (played by Rachel McAdams) and her parents. Â He falls in love with Paris and at the same time begins to question his love for his fiance. Â One night, after deciding to walk to the hotel, he becomes lost on the Parisian streets. Â As a clock strikes midnight, an old-styled car pulls up and the occupants encourage him to join them. Â Where they take him is unbelievable, and what they give him is clarity about his life and love.
The cast boasts many stars including: Â Kathy Bates, Adrian Brody, Mimi Kennedy and Marion Coltillard.
I love Paris, and if you do as well, you will love this movie. Â The story is secondary to the beautiful portrayal of the city of lights. Â I’m not a fan of Woody Allen, but enjoyed this movie and the message of the film. Â The present is truly a present, a gift, to be appreciated and treasured.
- Rotten Tomatoes gave Midnight in Paris a 93% Fresh rating.
- Midnight in Paris was nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Movie – Comedy or Musical. Â Owen Wilson and Woody Allen were also nominated. Â Woody Allen won for Best Screenplay.
- Midnight in Paris is available on DVD at Redbox.
Well to be honest I am not that amazed with “Midnight at Paris”. Usually Woody Allen movies maintain certain artistic level: acting, humor, avoiding cliché, music, etc. Usually Woody Allen movies are made for intelligent viewers, with intelligent viewer in mind. Unfortunately Midnight in Paris is not one of such films.
Instead of a light, dynamic, full of irony and natural acting “smart” comedy, we get a cheesy, predictable, and oversimplified “Hollywood” style flick. All the characters are so primitive, and overemphasized, that it’s boring like hell. Snobism of one of the characters, lack of understanding between a main character and his bride , eccentricity of “great artists”, naive character of a main character, etc, etc, etc – all of it – is so exaggerated and so dull, that I could not believe, that it’s for real. I thought that maybe in the end there will be some twist, or some justification of such bad acting and such terrible script. But no, everything was for real, and a movie ended with the most predictable and boring end.
I would never believe, it’s a Woody Allen movie. The only good thing about the film is music, but that’s definitely not enough.
Have a lovely time!
Alexa @