Many
of us wish or know someone who wishes they were born in a different era! “I
wish I lived in Paris in 1920's!” that was my thought when I watched this movie.
Midnight in Paris is written & directed by my favorite filmmaker, WoodyAllen. Woody, is an actor, director, screenwriter, comedian, musician and
playwright whose career spans more than 50 years. In Midnight in Paris, which
is his 41st film, he has done a marvelous work on this picture that
left audiences with a blissful feeling of happiness when watching it.
The
film opens with an American couple who are on a holiday in Paris with the
girl’s parents who were there for business. Gil (Owen Wilson)
and Inez (Rachel McAdams)
are engaged and preparing for their marriage. However, Gil has a special love
for Paris as a screenwriter from Hollywood who aspires to be a novelist and to
live the vagabond life of a writer in an attic in the “Ville de Lumiere” or the
city of light, Paris. Inez on the other hand, wants to live in the high
standards of life that she was raised in and who loves life in all its current
opportunities.
The
film takes an unexpected turn when Gil travels back in time while he was walking
through the beautiful allies of Paris. Unexpectedly, an old automobile stops
and passengers invited him to join them. It all happened at midnight, this is
where the title came from. He finds himself in the Golden Era of Paris where he
meets his idols; painters, writers and artists who lived in Paris in 1920's.
Gil meets with Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. He
saw the artists who frequented Stein's famous salon: Picasso, Dali, Man Ray,
Cole Porter, Man Ray and Tom Eliot. This encourages him to consult his literary
heroes on the novel he is writing and that takes him through many events where
he discovers his soul through a love story.
Owen
Wilson performance was true and convincing as he portrayed the true feeling of
a fan meeting his heroes in an astonishing sincere act. The location itself,
which is Paris, is enigmatic and Woody Allen succeed in showcasing the beauty
and the romanticism of the city of lights through the film’s cinematography.
The
music was the element that tied the knot for all the beautiful components of
this film. It takes you subliminally to that era and you feel the warmth and
beauty of the places, the characters and their costumes in a way that is far
from any cliché you might think of at that time.
Kudos
to Woody Allen for the great script that won him an Oscar and a Golden Globes
award for Best Original Screenplay. The script was
enigmatic and powerful and lets you dive into the film and be part of it. The scene
where Hemingway talked to Gil about life and death is just captivating.
Midnight in Paris is a true game changer for contemporary
filmmaking and commercial cinema. The genius of Woody Allen just has no limit.
I would watch this film many times and each time I would feel the same
excitement and nostalgia to the time where art and literature were a way of
life.
For more information about the film, please click here.
By:
Rami
Mansour
Twitter:
@RamiMansour
Blog
Twitter & Instagram: @KemzMovies
