Hi there! It’s me again! I like this blog so much that I take every opportunity to pop in here. No, this time I’m not going to talk about another travelling experience. This time I’m going to write a review about the latest movie by Woody Allen: Midnight in Paris.
First, let me tell you what I told to Andrea when I proposed this guest post (talk about self-promotion, right?). The fact is I adore Woody Allen and his movies never disappoint me. I don’t know why, that just happens. So, I immediately told Andrea that this was going to be a biased review. And now I’m telling that to you. Don’t say you haven’t been warned.
Sitting down at the movie theatre with no popcorn in sight, I waited. And then came the opening sequence. Paris in it’s sublime beauty, come rain or shine. Woody has a masterful ability of working with light and photography, and we can see that in every single shot. The opening sequence just prepares us for that. Much like what he did in many of his movies shot in New York, we first meet the city and then the characters. And here, Paris is a character in her own right.
We then meet Gil (Owen Wilson) and Inez (Rachel McAdams), an American couple who are engaged to be married in the fall, and decide to join Inez’s parents on their business trip to Paris. Gil is passionate about the city, and always dreamt of living there. He often thinks of Paris in the 1920s, a bustling city of thinkers, artists, writers and bohemians. To him, the most amazing period in History just had to be the 20’s.
One night, feeling restless, he goes for a walk. He walks the dark streets of Paris not knowing where they might lead him and, of course, he gets lost. What happens next is puzzling, to say the least. When midnight strikes, an old car, a very old car, appears at a distance, and when it stops, the people inside it look like they are going to a themed party – a party set in the 20’s. Gil is invited in, and steps into the most amazing adventure of his life. Does he really meet illustrious people such as Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali? Or are they just a figment of his imagination?
Of course, I wont tell you what happens next, because I really want you to see the movie. What I will say is that this has to be one the most light-hearted and hopeful movies by Woody Allen I’ve ever seen. There’s this tangible feeling of promise.
Many may argue this is just another pretentious movie, filled with cultural references that most people cannot understand. I think the most pretentious is to assume that people don’t want to be challenged when they see a movie. Being passive is comfortable, but taking time to notice the subtlety of a very well written joke or even learn something new is better.
Call me pretentious. I love Woody.
Guest post by Inês from Aramar, a crafty lady and photographer from Portugal.