Midnight in Paris (2011)

“We all fear death and question our place in the universe. The artist’s job is not to succumb to despair, but to find an antidote for the emptiness of existence.” – Gertrude Stein

Number of Times Seen – 2 (26 Jan 2012 and 18 Jul 2017)

Brief Synopsis – A writer on vacation in Paris with his fiancee and her family mysteriously is transported every night to the roaring 1920’s where he is able to meet and interact with the literary and cultural icons of those days.

My Take on it –This is a film that I saw not long after it came out and enjoyed it and have been meaning to rewatch for quite some time yet never seemed to get around to it.

Last week, my good friends Chet and Rodney showcased this film on their podcast – Down The Hall Guys and they inspired me to want to watch this again. Tnx Guys!

This story has such a great concept and it amazes me everytime I think about it.

The main theme that keeps coming around in this film is the idea that people need to learn to live in the present instead of constantly harping on how great the past was.

Woody Allen does a wonderful job having that idea come up over and over again and it really does hit home every time.

The casting (as usual with Allen’s films) is near perfect and Owen Wilson is an amazing choice as a doppelganger of the famous writer/director.

The music is great and helps us get even more into the mood that the film shows us especially with the idea that this is a pseudo sci-fi kind of theme.

This is for all intents and purposes a time travel movie and they do a great job in the way they chose to utilize that aspect of it all.

The fact that the time travel is done so simply also helps to add to the genius here because there was no need for us to understand how it works just that it does work.

The runtime of this film lingers around 90 minutes and is perfect because nothing feels as if it drags on and also doesn’t feel rushed at all.

This is one of Allen’s best films!

Bottom Line – Such a great concept that is all about living in the present instead of the past. The cast is perfect and Wilson is amazing as an Allen doppelganger.  The music is perfectly fitting for this kind of pseudo sci-fi film.  Loved the way they chose to utilize the time travel aspect of it all and because it’s done so simply, there is no need whatsoever to try and explain how it works; just that it works.  The runtime is perfect at around 90 minutes and doesn’t drag at all or even feel incomplete or rushed.  One of Allen’s best films! Highly Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – Tom Hiddleston received a letter from Woody Allen, along with 15 pages of the script, offering him the role of F. Scott Fitzgerald. “It was three sentences long,” Hiddleston told Entertainment Weekly. “Dear Tom, I’m making a movie in Paris this summer. I attached some pages. I’d love for you to play the role of Scott.” Hiddleston now has the letter framed and hanging up in his home office. (From IMDB)

Rating – Oscar Worthy

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