| Midnight in Paris |
| Written by Nick West | |||
| Tuesday, 14 June 2011 05:08 | |||
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It pleases me to see great artists that shine well into old age. If one were to look at Woody Allen's surface resumé, it would seem the man cranks out a movie every year and paints it by the numbers. Midnight in Paris proves that he can still teach us a thing or two about character, concept and story; and that he deserves to be called a master of filmmaking.
Let me just say at the top here, I will be revealing minor spoilers. The trailer for this movie hides a neat little twist. Are you still reading? Here it is: Midnight in Paris involves time-travel. Written and directed by Mr. Allen, and starring Owen Wilson as Gil. Rachel McAdams is his fiancee Inez. And her conservative parents, John and Helen, are the comedic duo of Kurt Fuller and Mimi Kennedy. Gil and Inez are in Paris, vacationing before their wedding. Michael Sheen plays Paul, an old acquaintance of Inez. He's perfectly smarmy and a "pseudo-intellectual." After a few hilarious scenes of Paul topping Gil with his "knowledge" of Paris and art, Gil has enough and goes for a drunken night walk. When the clock strikes midnight Gil is transported to 1920s Paris, his nostalgic perception of a literary golden-age. There is no explanation for this—but it doesn't matter. It works for the movie. As a plot-device it's purely magical. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Being in the past allows Gil, a writer, the chance to meet his literary heroes—F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway and more. He begins to fall in love with the 20s and becomes more inspired in his work. The bit parts (literary masters and otherwise) are many and varied, including the alluring Marion Cotillard as the temptress Adriana and a wonderful cameo by Adrien Brody as the super eccentric Salvador Dali. Wait until you hear him share his obsession with "the rhinoceros." Great stuff. Corey Stoll, as Hemingway, might be a bit over the top, but his dialogue is funny—and I have a sneaking suspicion Allen did it on purpose. He portrays the Hemingway of our dreams and nostalgia. It feels slightly out of place though, as everyone else is played as more subtle and real. I was once again surprised by Owen Wilson. One forgets that this seemingly stoned comedic actor has given us some of the best performances of the last ten years. That is thanks in large part to director Wes Anderson. Here, it looks like Allen's guidance allows Wilson to shine once again. In one transformative scene Wilson's face goes from shock to realization to acceptance to delight. It's beautiful. No exposition needed. The actor does his job and the story is told. We are delighted as well. Another surprise is the quick pace and sheer amount of laugh-out-loud moments Paris gives us. I should know better. This is Woody Allen. I mean it's Woody-fucking-Allen. The guy rarely disappoints. You know that old cliché, "I liked Woody better when he was funny." Well, get ready to like Woody again. Coming back to the portrayals being subtle—this is where Allen shows true genius. People in Woody Allen movies act like people. It's refreshing. The story is fun and quick. The acting and writing is clever and believable. Midnight in Paris delivers. Even the poignancy and revelation of the theme is underplayed to great effect. Give this one a chance. I think the story has a broader appeal than the marketing lets on. Woody Allen, a guy born in 1935 that can still deliver a fresh story. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1605783/ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000095/ http://www.sonyclassics.com/midnightinparis/ For more Times Square articles like Midnight in Paris please visit the Film Reviews Section of TimesSquare.com
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