Midnight in Paris

Woody Allen's newest film is about an engaged couple in Paris. He (Owen Wilson) falls in love with the city, while she (Rachel McAdams) thinks he's crazy.

At the stroke of midnight each night a car picks up Gil (Wilson) and transports him to the 1920's, we learn that Paris in the 20's is what Gil considers to be the ideal time to live in. He meets the great minds of that time including Hemingway, Picasso, and Dali. The plot is kind of whimsical in that it poses the question of: what would it be like to live in a different time? And, would it be better than our own? But harkening back to the 1920's, I find that it starts to become a little gimmicky. For example, Gertrude (Kathy Bates) wonders if 500 francs is a reasonable price for a Matisse, in hindsight, of course it is, and Gil wonders if he can buy 6 or 7. It's moments like that I think are supposed to be cute or funny or inside jokes, but it starts to come off as a little easy.

Another side to consider is that I did not get all the inside jokes. So while I got the one about the Matisse, I did not get the one about Dali and the rhinoceros. I'm not saying that I'm bitter because the movie made me feel stupid, but I think I could have enjoyed the movie more if I understood some more of the references (or maybe I just would have complained more about the gimmickyness of them)... (or maybe I just think they are gimmicky because I don't fully get them). Full disclosure here.

I certainly could have enjoyed this movie more if I had brushed up on my American lit beforehand, but as is, I liked it. Owen Wilson is well-cast in his enthusiasm and wonder, Rachael McAdams pulls from her Mean Girls repertoire towards the end, and Kathy Bates, Marion Cotillard, and Adrian Brody are always a pleasure. I'm not going to say this movie is for everyone, but for those who get it, they will enjoy it thoroughly. And for those who don't, there's enough of the in between stuff so you won't be totally lost.