Midnight in Paris: A magical story that will make you laugh and think

Midnight in Paris (comedy, fantasy, romance)

Directed by Woody Allen

Starring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen, Marion Cotillard, Kathy Bates and Adrien Brody

2011 | 94 min | PG-13 | 1.85:1 | Theatrical Release Date June 10, 2011

The Film 5/5

Woody Allen has directed more than 40 movies and Midnight in Paris is one of his best. It’s a gentle comedy with a strong fantasy element. Like most of Allen’s movies, it relies on good writing and clever dialogue.

The fantasy element changes the entire feel of the movie, and although it’s revealed early in the story, I don’t want to ruin it for anyone. However, this would be a very short review if I didn't mention it at all. So please be warned that the remainder of the review contains spoilers. If you don’t want to know, it’s time to stop reading.

The story is built around Gil Pender (Wilson), who arrives in Paris with his fiancée, Inez (McAdams). He’s a writer hoping to find inspiration and she wants to see some of the local sights. The two explore the city with friends Paul (Sheen) and Carol. Paul claims to be an authority on everything and Gil is annoyed by him, but Inez used to have a crush on Paul and enjoys his company.

One evening, Gil decides that he will take a walk alone to get away from Paul. He’s a little drunk and manages to get lost, and eventually finds himself sitting on some steps at midnight. It’s here that the entire movie changes. A vintage car stops and the people inside urge Gil to get in. They take him to a party and he discovers that Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald are among the guests. He’s surprised at their names, and even more baffled when he’s introduced to Ernest Hemingway.

Gil has traveled back into the 1920s.

What would you say to Fitzgerald and Hemingway if you were an aspiring writer? Gil is both astonished and thrilled to be in their presence and mentions that he’s also a writer. The trip to the past isn’t permanent and he wakes up in the present the next morning. Was it just a dream, or was it real? Allen never explains how Gil returns from the past.

He tries to reenact the event, taking Inez with him, but she leaves before midnight. When the clock strikes, the car appears again and he’s back in the past. He’s introduced to other famous artists, singers and writers, and Gertrude Stein (Bates) critiques his manuscript. Gil seems at home in the 1920s and happier than when he is with Inez in the present. The people seem to understand him better and he fits right in. 

The story is filled with interesting encounters. The characters spend a lot of time talking, and Allen’s imagination keeps things more than interesting. I found it quite gripping. I particularly enjoyed the scenes with Hemingway and was reminded of Dan Simmons’ fictional book about him, The Crook Factory. Every encounter with people from 1920s Paris was both charming and intriguing. I found myself imagining how they must have lived, and what it would be like to exist in such a creative environment.

The audience in my theater laughed often and everyone left with a smile on their face. It was a magical experience seeing people such as Dali (Brody) and Picasso before they were famous. The setting was perfect, showing the contrast between modern Paris and the city as it was almost a century ago.

Wilson was as good as I have ever seen him in the role that Allen presumably would have played in his youth. I like Wilson’s quirky delivery and his character wasn’t too far removed from the one he played in The Darjeeling Limited. Gil enjoys defying expectations and isn’t understood by his friends and potential in-laws.

All of the acting impressed me and Sheen was just about perfect as the insufferable Paul. The story was imaginative and different, and not at all what I expected. I left the theater grinning and charmed by the whole story. Allen’s last Oscar came in 1987 when he won for Best Screenplay (Hannah and Her Sisters). I wouldn’t be surprised if Midnight in Paris received a couple of nominations, and he might just win a fourth Oscar.

If you enjoy Woody Allen at all, Midnight in Paris is well worth a trip to the theater. Its charm will draw you in and the dialogue will make you laugh.

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You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (comedy, romance)

Directed by Woody Allen

Starring Anthony Hopkins, Naomi Watts, Josh Brolin, Gemma Jones and Freida Pinto

Sony Pictures | 2010 | 98 min | Rated R | Released Feb 15, 2011

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 1.78:1

Audio:

English, French: DTS-HD Master Audio 3.0

Subtitles:

English, English SDH, French

Disc:

Single 25GB Blu-ray Disc

The Film 4/5

When you watch a Woody Allen film, you can expect several things: There will almost certainly be a narrator, the story will be dialogue-driven, the cast will be fantastic and there will be a few insights about human nature. He'll probably make you laugh too. There’s an honesty about his writing that’s often lacking in similar films.

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger is about an old married couple, a younger married couple and a few single people who are woven into the mix. They all live in London, England. The older couple is Helena (Jones) and Alfie (Hopkins) and they are separated. Helena reacts by trying to commit suicide and Alfie by proposing to Charmaine; a woman half his age.

Their daughter, Sally (Watts), has a relationship with both parents and is married to Roy (Brolin). Sally and Roy have become bored with each other and are starting to notice other people. Sally has a crush on her boss, Greg (Antonio Banderas), while Roy has his eye on an attractive neighbor, Dia (Pinto).

Helena regularly visits a psychic who assures her that her life is about to get better. She will find a new love and be happy. Sally plays along to keep her mother happy and hopeful.

We learn that Alfie’s wife-to-be is called Charmaine and he lies about how they met. She was actually a call girl. Her motivation seems to be to take Alfie for all the money he has. Roy meets Dia for lunch and continues to pursue her even when he learns that she’s engaged. Sally doesn’t notice Roy’s behavior because she’s too busy spending time with Greg.

Roy’s other motivation in life is finding a publisher for his latest book. His first was a success, but he’s having trouble selling his fourth. When tragedy strikes some of his friends, Roy’s true nature becomes clear.

The four principal characters are all flawed. They lie routinely to protect their fragile relationships and we rarely see a true exchange between them. When we do, the outcome is usually damaging to their relationships.

Each character has hopes and dreams and is willing to make big changes in order to fulfill them. All four suffer setbacks when their lies and unethical behavior catches up with them. These are not bad people; they are just tired with their boring existence. It’s human nature to reach for something better, but it’s not always easy to do so without hurting people you are supposed to love.

Allen is a master at exposing the weaknesses in people. He realizes that we all have them to some degree. His actors all do the material justice and I would expect nothing less from such a talented group.

The stories and subplots held my attention throughout. I found myself wanting to see what happened to these well-defined characters. There are a few twists and turns and Allen doesn’t tell us what happens to every character. He doesn’t need to. This is a fascinating snapshot of people’s lives and it’s entertaining as it is.

As our narrator tells us at the end, “sometimes the illusions work better than the medicine.”

How many people are doing exactly that in their lives? It’s often easier to fool yourself rather than face up to the truth.

Video Quality 4/5

The Blu-ray presentation of the film isn’t something you would choose to show off your home theater, but it looks decent enough. Detail is moderate, but the images are clean and natural-looking. I have seen similar settings in London and felt completely at home.

Audio Quality 3.5/5

It’s rare for a film to feature a DTS-HD Master Audio 3.0 mix, but it works. Sort of. Allen’s films tend to focus on dialogue and this track presents it clearly. Where it misses the mark is in scenes featuring background noise. The rear speakers won’t enhance the sound of heavy rain or traffic in the way that you would expect. That doesn’t detract from the experience too much because of the nature of the film.

Special Features 0/5

Aside from a trailer and a few promos, there’s nothing included apart from the film itself.

Would I recommend the film? If, like me, you enjoy Woody Allen’s films, this is well worth seeing. Its structure is similar to other Allen films or something like Mike Nichols’ Closer (which is superior). Casual viewers might be disappointed as the film deals with the subtleties of human nature. It’s interesting rather than thrilling.

Overall score 4/5 for Allen fans, 3/5 for those unfamiliar with his work.

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