Midnight In Paris
Rating: 7/10
Cast: Owen Wilson, Michael Sheen, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard
Director: Woody Allen
Owen Wilson stars in Woody Allen's latest, a whimsical look at life in the French capital.
Wilson is Gil, a screen writer for Hollywood who's served up some trashy stuff before and is looking to broaden out his horizons by writing a novel.
He's in Paris with his fiancée Inez (McAdams) holidaying with her family and dreaming of a romantic life in the city of love, with walks in the rain, sauntering down the streets during the day and reflecting on what future may lie ahead.
But one night, after leaving his fiancée to go dancing with some mutual friends, Gil finds himself transported back to Paris of the 1920s when midnight strikes and into the world of some of his literary heroes.
This latest from Allen is a slight, uncomplicated and sumptuously shot piece. Opening with a jazzy soundtrack and some picture postcard moments of Paris, it's clear, for once, the writer/ director's gone for something simpler and something which wallows more in the nostalgic side of life.
Wilson is in fine form as essentially, an extension of Woody Allen; McAdams and Sheen are quite insufferable though as a fiancée and friend who clearly don't like or respect Gil so it's hard to see why exactly you should feel any sympathy for them when they get their comeuppance.
But it's the period detail where Allen's latest shines; the
recreation of the 1920s scene is amazing and fantastical. With the
usual smattering of some good one liners, this is a frothy piece of
escapist cinema, which is light and breezy and extremely
likeable.
