Sunday, June 19, 2011

1581 - Midnight in Paris

Those who know my filmic tastes know that I'm a lover of Woody Allen.  I'll be the first to admit that he's made several films which I'll probably never both seeing more than once, but he's also made more than a dozen films which I regularly revisit.  For my money I'm not sure that there are that many filmmakers that can boast such a feat.
Woody's newest film is about a man living in the past, who on a trip to Paris in present day finds himself wishing that he was there in the 1920's, and then magically, each night, he finds himself getting there via a mysterious stage coach.  So, in theory, it's a time travel film, but it's done so with such simplicity. 
I fell in love with Wilson's character immediately.  Charming, clever, taking the stock Woody character and making it his own in wonderful ways.  Even just his mannerisms elicited sympathy from me.  I think one complaint I had here was that McAdams (whom I adore, and looked gorgeous here) was unlikable from the get-go, and it was a little too easy.  Of course I'm not going to root for him and her to stay together, I'm never given any reason to.  That aside this film is just jam-packed with fantastic actors (particularly enjoyed Alison Pill as Zelda Fitzgerald).  I admit that part way into it I was worried that this film was going to amount to nothing more than a clever wink at a bygone era, but Woody has created a rich film that's ultimately about being happy in the here and now.
It's nice to see the love that Woody is getting for this film and I hope he's able to keep making the kinds of films he wants to make for as long as he can and wants to.
An absolutely must-see for any Woody Allen fan or mild appreciator. 

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