Midnight in Paris | Review
Woody Allen’s ‘Midnight in Paris’ is a delightful film. It’s a film that which I cannot describe much plot-wise because it would spoil the entire movie. The film’s unique premise isn’t anything groundbreaking or of massive importance, but it’s one that makes the film so joyful and pleasing to watch. And as the first Woody Allen film I’ve ever seen, ‘Midnight in Paris’ is a pretty good first impression.
Owen Wilson (‘Cars 2‘ & ‘Wedding Crashers’) stars as successful Hollywood screenwriter Gil Pender. Not satisfied with just writing scripts for major films, Gil vacations in Paris in order to relax and suck in all of the beauty that is French culture. Also, Gil is spending time away from scriptwriting in order to work on a novel, one he’s been struggling with for months. His fiance is Inez (Rachel McAdams), and the two love one another, but they’re views in life differ dramatically. Gil is the type who loves the arts and beauty of other cultures, and wants to move to France, whereas Inez (as well as her ultra-conservative parents, both vacationing with Gil and Inez) is quite superficial, loves shopping, and wants to live in Malibu. Upon checking out some historical paintings, Gil and Inez run into an old friend of Inez’s, Paul (Michael Sheen).
It must be said that none of the characters in ‘Midnight in Paris’ I have mentioned so far are likable, other than Gil himself. Inez is unlikable for reasons already said, her parents are unlikable because they disapprove of Gil for the dumbest of reasons, and Paul is a slime. Gil sees through Paul’s wise-talking, know-it-all of the arts and history facade, showing that Paul doesn’t actually know much of what he’s talking about.
The majority of the film, which I still will not explain in order to avoid spoiling the film’s nice surprise, focuses on Gil’s adventure in the Parisian city each time the clock strikes midnight. Gil’s midnight getaways are nice, and the entire experience is a learning one for him, never wasted. The various new characters introduced during the midnight in Paris segments of the film include some nice actors such as Corey Stoll (‘Salt’) and Alison Pill (‘Scott Pilgrim vs. The World‘), as well as some well-known surprises as Kathy Bates (‘Titanic’), Tom Hiddleston (‘Thor‘), and Adrien Brody (‘The Pianist’). One of the most important characters in ‘Midnight in Paris’ is played by Marion Cotillard (‘Inception‘), and she does a fantastic job at playing Gil’s counterpart for the majority of the film. Cotillard provides strong emotions in the film, and her character is pivotal in Gil’s self-learning journey.
‘Midnight in Paris’ is an enjoyable Woody Allen film, and a surprisingly film with a lot of heart for a summer film. The film features strong actors, both little-known and well-known, and uses its French setting to its advantage. ‘Midnight in Paris’ bathes in culture and history, which is what makes the film. Some may not find the premise’s little surprise that big of a deal, but to me it was a good one that allows the film to be fun as well as thoughtful. Now I won’t say this film offers dramatic depth to its characters, but it’s definitely not weak. This is a nice, simple romance film that isn’t sappy, and will offer more than what you’d expect.
Three and a half out of four Kents.
Extra Notes:
If you’re a Rachel McAdams fan, you’ll be disappointed if you see ‘Midnight in Paris’ just for her. McAdams plays the lead’s fiance, but her role isn’t of major importance in the film, and she has low screen time. This doesn’t mean it drags the film down, because McAdams’ role does exactly what is needed.
It’s best to see ‘Midnight in Paris’ without having any knowledge regarding the film’s premise. The little synopsis provided for the film won’t ruin anything, and the trailer for the film shows absolutely nothing. The trailer is actually pretty boring, and is nothing like what the film truly is like.
