Midnight in Paris Review

By admin On June 23, 2011 · Leave a Comment

June 15th, 2011 | Comments Off

Midnight in Paris

Midnight in Paris is a cute little fable that explores the misplaced romanticism of nostalgia, how we imagine a bygone era to be better than our own, and as such we miss the joys of the time we live in. The same could be said of Allen’s film canon, and while his latest certainly makes us more wistful for his classics, this is certainly one to enjoy and not burden unfairly by comparison.

Before establishing a narrative, the film opens with an extended travelogue of Paris (lusciously captured by cinematographer Darius Khondji, Chéri), taking us through the course of a day—morning, noon and night—in the world’s most romantic city. This leisurely montage is about more than just establishing location (one shot of the Eiffel Tower would do that); it creates a sense of place, and effectively so. By the end of it you want to go there, and are at least happy to be so even if vicariously through cinematic proxy.

Vacationing in Paris is Gil, a rich Hollywood screenwriter who’s angst-ridden about selling out and is looking to re-establish his literary bona fides by writing an important novel. He’s there with his fiancé Inez (Rachel McAdams, Morning Glory), a beautiful blonde of Republican pedigree who’s clearly marrying him for his success rather than his art. Her parents are in tow (daddy’s there on business, natch) and Gil’s tormented pursuit for artistic integrity is clearly at odds with their materialistic elitism (Allen has fun depicting these would-be in-laws with boorish pretension).

On their initial sightseeing excursion, the group runs into old acquaintances Paul and Carol who are on a tourist jaunt of their own. Paul (Michael Sheen, TRON: Legacy) is a cultured know-it-all who charms the women as much as he annoys Gil. He acts as guide through the city, snobbishly relaying historical minutia about every building, sculpture and painting, even challenging local experts when they correct him.

Article Source: http://www.crosswalk.com/culture/movies/nothing-that-new-in-i-midnight-in-paris-i.html

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