Midnight in Paris (2011) movie review

There is no doubt in my mind that Woody Allen is one of the greatest screenwriters and directors. His movies have a truly singular quality. At the very least, you get a few laughs out of them. The best ones though are side-splittingly hilarious. Just like the characters in his movies, the movies themselves are not perfect but, they are human. In a career spanning 60 years as a director, he has made 58 movies and Midnight in Paris is one of his most delightful movies which you can’t help but fall in love with.

Known for making movies in New York, this is the first of his movies shot entirely overseas and you can see why he chose Paris. In Midnight in Paris, the city looks like a dream and becomes a subtextual character giving us the illusion that better lives are being lived there. Darius Khondji, the cinematographer for the movie, most known for his work in Se7en, The Beach and Uncut Gems, has used soft lighting and colouring in conjunction with the costumes and production design to give it the appearance of Impressionist paintings as those of Monet and Van Gogh, putting us in the lead character’s frame of mind.

Gil Bender (Owen Wilson), joins his fiance Inez (Rachel McAdams) on a trip to Paris with her parents. The city’s beauty has enamoured the Hollywood screenwriter so much that he is considering moving there, at least for a while. He is also working on a novel that no one else has read because, in Inez’s words, when it comes to his writing, he doesn’t care about anyone else’s opinions. In the process of trying to convince Inez to move to France, they meet Paul and Carol, Inez’s acquaintances. In classic Woody Allen fashion, Gil tries to evade meeting them the following day when invited to take a trip to Versailles, unsuccessfully.

Inez casually mentions having had a crush on Paul before she met Gil and finds Paul’s pretentious ramblings on French history and culture interesting. McAdams is great as Inez, very beautiful but lacking in personality. Micheal Sheen is just hilarious as Paul, playing the role as an absolute dick. Gil would rather spend his time taking walks on the streets of Paris than go dancing with the rest of the group. He gets lost walking and finds himself transported to Paris in the 1920s. 

Paris was the epicentre of art and culture in that period and Gil gets not only the opportunity to meet his long-dead heroes but also to have actual, meaningful conversations with them. He is like a kid in a toy shop packed with his favourite toys. Not only does he get to engage with the brilliant minds of the Fitzgeralds, Hemingway, Salvador Dali among others, but also gets to spend time taking walks with and romance Adriana, played by Marion Cotillard with the grace and aesthetic of an actress from that era. Among other actors from that period, Corey Stoll is most notably brilliant as Hemingway. He nails Hemingway’s contradictory alpha male persona with a poet’s heart. There is a sadness in his eyes. An emptiness he is trying to fill with experiences but he may never be whole. The movie portrays these artistic giants as genuinely curious and friendly people as opposed to the snobbish Paul who can only wish to possess their originality. Gil gets the impossible in his lifetime opportunity to gain feedback on his novel from Gertrude Stein (played motherly by Kathy Bates), an inspiring presence in 1920s Paris. 

Combined with the fantastical nature of the story, the fantasy takes the shape of a daydream with the delightful music and the visuals. With all these elements working well in the film, it still relies heavily on the lead actor’s shoulders. Gil is the archetype Woody Allen protagonist with a few changes specifically made to fit the Owen Wilson mold. And Wilson has never been better onscreen. The effortless charm and humility that he brings to his performance is positively winning. The performance is understated, yes, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a challenging role. For example, there is a tight close-up right after Gil realises he has travelled in time somehow. He goes from being stunned and slightly scared, to accepting the circumstances and enjoying the ride as long as he’s on it, in a matter of seconds. No further exposition is required after that. Now that’s impressive!

Sure, Woody Allen is fulfilling his wishful fantasies through this movie. But he is mature enough to understand that enjoyable as these fantasies may be, Gil has to find solutions to his problems in the real world. There are few movies where all aspects of filmmaking come together to create a memorable and rich experience. Midnight in Paris is one of them.