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Midnight in Paris
by Thomas Alexander
07/07/12
07/07/12
Informal Review
An informal review is basically just that, me informally reviewing something. It's essentially me being very lazy but wanting to get my point across nonetheless. Think of this as a friend telling you about a film they saw rather than an official reviewer giving a commentary on a piece of art. All these reviews are going to be my opinion and so may not conform with what the masses think.
Hence "INFORMAL REVIEW" (said the booming voice over man.)
Hence "INFORMAL REVIEW" (said the booming voice over man.)
"Midnight in Paris" is a film about an american screenwriter, played by Owen Wilson, travelling to France with bitchy fiancé Rachel McAdams, whereupon he stumbles across a way to travel back into what he recognises as the glory days of literature. In the past he comes across some of literature's greats as well as falling for a woman of the time with dreams similar to himself. Will he stay in the past with a new love or continue in a present that he is unhappy with?
Now that the official-ish synopsis is out of the way lets get into it.
This movie is written and directed by Woody Allen. I know, you wouldn't have thought it reading my synopsis. But the clues are there...unhappy literary successful screenwriter. If that isn't a clue then I don't know what is. I mean look at "Annie Hall", in that Allen essentially plays himself. Anyway, I'm getting off topic.
I'm quite ashamed to say that "Midnight in Paris" is actually the first Woody Allen film that I have seen in full. I know, shock horror. Me the film graduate with an obnoxiously large amount of film trivia crammed into my cranium has only seen one Woody Allen film. However, even though that is true I think that "Midnight in Paris" is a fantastic place to get into Woody Allen.
The film is just one of those things that you watch. You don't have to think too hard about it, you just sit back and enjoy the ride. The brilliant thing about it is that it also keeps your attention throughout.
On many occasions when you have an easy viewing film, you switch off for most of it, whereas here I found that even though it is easy it is bloody enjoyable. I got this film on a whim, having seen the odd trailer and liking the synopsis, and I am so happy that I did.
This film is just a love letter to Paris. The opening credits is a three and a half minute piece showing some of the more famous french landmarks, just in a normal day to day scene, with "Si tu vois ma mère" by Sidney Joseph Bechet playing in full over the top of it. Yes, I got the soundtrack after watching the film...for good reason too, it's bloody fantastic.
These opening shots alone made me feel nostalgic and already in love with a city that I have been to at least four times in my life...but never as an adult. And this feeling of nostalgia continued throughout as it turned into a major theme of the film.
The acting is superb. Perhaps one of Owen Wilson's best roles. Its nice to see him as what I like to call 'Adult Funny'. Not crude in anyway but funny in the sense that all the humour is something that you might actually hear someone of his age saying. Dry and sarcastic...just how I like it. Rachel McAdams is awesome as always, reviving the bitchiness of "Mean Girls" but putting it into an upper class woman's body.
Now I am not going to spoil anything for you folks who haven't seen the film yet but some of the cameos in this film are simply brilliant. Nobody too mainstream appears, that would draw attention to the fact that it was a film (Oceans Trilogy I'm looking at you, but parodied very well in Austin Powers: Goldmember) but famous enough that when they appear on screen then you know that they are playing someone important, even if you are too young, like myself, to fully understand who they are.
But my acting trophy for this film can only go to one person. This may be because I have a little bit of a soft spot for her, not just because she has appeared in a few of my all time favourite films and is soon going to appear in 'The Dark Knight Rises' (A film that I have saved a spot in my top ten if it is good enough) but for other reasons too.
My award goes to Marion Cotillard who plays the possible love interest in Owen's golden era that also wishes to be in a earlier and better time. Miss Cotillard fits perfectly into the world created by Allen, obviously as she is French, with such ease that, like the rest of the film, makes the viewer nostalgic for this Paris that Allen is showing us.
Sure his view may not be what Paris is completely like, but it is a romanticised view that plucked at my very manly heartstrings.
If you know me then you must know that I do not like viewing a film repeatedly within a short period. But there are exceptions to this rule that, as soon as I've finished watching something, make me want to hit the 'Play' button and watch it all over again. This has only ever happened THREE times in my life before:
1 - Unbreakable
2 - The Lord of the Rings (I'm counting this as one film as you can't just watch ONE LOTR film)
3 - Rango
But now I must add a fourth as since watching "Midnight in Paris" I have not been able to stop thinking about it. Every time I hear the opening note of "Si tu vois ma mère" I just want to run to my TV and watch the film.
Which, in my opinion, shows how good the film actually is.
I can't give this film enough praise.
I am now officially a fan of Woody Allen.
Now that the official-ish synopsis is out of the way lets get into it.
This movie is written and directed by Woody Allen. I know, you wouldn't have thought it reading my synopsis. But the clues are there...unhappy literary successful screenwriter. If that isn't a clue then I don't know what is. I mean look at "Annie Hall", in that Allen essentially plays himself. Anyway, I'm getting off topic.
I'm quite ashamed to say that "Midnight in Paris" is actually the first Woody Allen film that I have seen in full. I know, shock horror. Me the film graduate with an obnoxiously large amount of film trivia crammed into my cranium has only seen one Woody Allen film. However, even though that is true I think that "Midnight in Paris" is a fantastic place to get into Woody Allen.
The film is just one of those things that you watch. You don't have to think too hard about it, you just sit back and enjoy the ride. The brilliant thing about it is that it also keeps your attention throughout.
On many occasions when you have an easy viewing film, you switch off for most of it, whereas here I found that even though it is easy it is bloody enjoyable. I got this film on a whim, having seen the odd trailer and liking the synopsis, and I am so happy that I did.
This film is just a love letter to Paris. The opening credits is a three and a half minute piece showing some of the more famous french landmarks, just in a normal day to day scene, with "Si tu vois ma mère" by Sidney Joseph Bechet playing in full over the top of it. Yes, I got the soundtrack after watching the film...for good reason too, it's bloody fantastic.
These opening shots alone made me feel nostalgic and already in love with a city that I have been to at least four times in my life...but never as an adult. And this feeling of nostalgia continued throughout as it turned into a major theme of the film.
The acting is superb. Perhaps one of Owen Wilson's best roles. Its nice to see him as what I like to call 'Adult Funny'. Not crude in anyway but funny in the sense that all the humour is something that you might actually hear someone of his age saying. Dry and sarcastic...just how I like it. Rachel McAdams is awesome as always, reviving the bitchiness of "Mean Girls" but putting it into an upper class woman's body.
Now I am not going to spoil anything for you folks who haven't seen the film yet but some of the cameos in this film are simply brilliant. Nobody too mainstream appears, that would draw attention to the fact that it was a film (Oceans Trilogy I'm looking at you, but parodied very well in Austin Powers: Goldmember) but famous enough that when they appear on screen then you know that they are playing someone important, even if you are too young, like myself, to fully understand who they are.
But my acting trophy for this film can only go to one person. This may be because I have a little bit of a soft spot for her, not just because she has appeared in a few of my all time favourite films and is soon going to appear in 'The Dark Knight Rises' (A film that I have saved a spot in my top ten if it is good enough) but for other reasons too.
My award goes to Marion Cotillard who plays the possible love interest in Owen's golden era that also wishes to be in a earlier and better time. Miss Cotillard fits perfectly into the world created by Allen, obviously as she is French, with such ease that, like the rest of the film, makes the viewer nostalgic for this Paris that Allen is showing us.
Sure his view may not be what Paris is completely like, but it is a romanticised view that plucked at my very manly heartstrings.
If you know me then you must know that I do not like viewing a film repeatedly within a short period. But there are exceptions to this rule that, as soon as I've finished watching something, make me want to hit the 'Play' button and watch it all over again. This has only ever happened THREE times in my life before:
1 - Unbreakable
2 - The Lord of the Rings (I'm counting this as one film as you can't just watch ONE LOTR film)
3 - Rango
But now I must add a fourth as since watching "Midnight in Paris" I have not been able to stop thinking about it. Every time I hear the opening note of "Si tu vois ma mère" I just want to run to my TV and watch the film.
Which, in my opinion, shows how good the film actually is.
I can't give this film enough praise.
I am now officially a fan of Woody Allen.
