I am not a real Woody Allen fan, but I wanted to see a movie that wasn’t raunchy and wasn’t rated G either, and “Midnight in Paris” was the only one that fit the bill. So, I head out with a friend of mine to see it. I have to say, from the minute the movie started I was hooked. The movie shows Paris, but not the sunshiny, tourist Paris. It shows Paris in the rain, looking almost dull. It shows the buildings and shiny, wet streets which gave it an almost drab feel. The movie opens with Owen Wilson and his fiancé heading to talk to her parents. Owen plays a screenwriter (Gil) who yearns to do real writing and Paris is the perfect setting for that. His fiancé does not share his dreams, and prefers the lifestyle of LA and the steady income of his screenwriting. You can sort of tell right off the bat these two aren’t destined for each other, but that story unfolds more later on.
The gist of the movie comes when he and his fiancé Inez (played perfectly by Rachel McAdams) are out on the town, and she decides to go to another party with another couple and he decides to try walking home. He gets lost, and ends up on this quiet, lamplit street. He sits down on some cobblestone steps and a clock strikes midnight. Up rolls this vintage motorcar with a gang of 20’s people in it. He is beckoned in the vehicle, which promptly takes him to a party. It’s at the party that he realizes he’s been transported back into the 1920’s. He becomes friends with Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald and , who in turn take him to a bar where Ernest Hemingway is. The actor playing Hemingway is superb. His tone and demeanor are spot on, and the quotes are fantastic. As a hopeful writer myself, I was inspired by everything that came out of this guy’s mouth. He talks about true courage that makes a man feel invincible, able to stare death in the face. His speech was just eloquent, and Owen was great playing someone enraptured by what Hemingway was saying.
Gil decides to give his novel to Hemingway to review, but Hemingway says no, he doesn’t want to read another person’s work because a) if it’s good he’ll be jealous and say it was bad b) if it’s bad he wasted his time reading it. But, he offers to have Gertrude Stein read it. Gil is overjoyed and Gertrude (played perfectly by Kathy Bates) reads the novel. Now, when he’s over at the Stein residence he happens upon Adriana, who is the beautiful girlfriend of Picasso. They hit it off, and he develops a crush on her. It’s likewise on her part, so you begin wondering what’s going to happen, will he stay with his fiancé, go after Adriana, who is really unattainable because she only lives in the 20’s or they throw in there this French gal who works at an antique shop he keeps running into.
Anyway, Stein finished his book and gives fabulous advice. She tells him he needs to have the main character triumph in the end. You can’t write a book without the character overcoming his circumstances. Hemingway also gave great advice, even though he didn’t read the book. He said as long as you write about what’s true, your book will be good.
The movie wraps up all too quickly, as I wanted to continue watching and watching. Gil and Adriana end up going back to the 1890’s, where she wants to stay. Gil realizes every generation looks to the past and thinks that’s the generation to live in, but the reality is we need to live in our present and cannot live in the past. So, he goes back while she stays. He has the courage to break it off with his fiancé and stay in Paris, where he does end up with the antique shop lady.
Such a great movie, although it does get a little slow in parts. But of all the movies I have watched this year, this is by far the best. It left me inspired, motivated to be my best. I hope you give it a chance, and know you’ll enjoy it as much as I did!