I don't often get to the movies these days, so when I had the chance to catch a film by myself last weekend I wanted more than just a little escapism. I wanted bare-faced, fairytale movie magic.
Woody Allen has had a rocky run of it lately, but I loved Vicky Cristina Barcelona and I'm a huge francophile, so Midnight in Paris was an easy choice. It was an absolute delight!
The thing I love about Woody Allen films is that the most likeable character is always the location. He falls madly in love with a city, woos us with its beauty and charm, throws in a few believably flawed characters for the purpose of story, and gives it all some room for magic to happen.
Midnight in Paris follows Owen Wilson's self-absorbed character Gil Bender back to the golden age of 1920s Paris, where he meets just about every creative genius of the time. Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Pablo Picasso and (played brilliantly by Adrian Brody) Salvador Dali, among others, are brought back to life. Marion Cotillard plays the artists' muse beautifully and, despite deciding early on that I didn't like him at all, I found myself hoping for a happy resolution to Gil's adventure.
Easy to watch and easy to love, Midnight in Paris has also inspired me to revisit all the old masters, starting with 'Tender is the Night'. The only thing I'm missing is a Cole Porter record, so I'm off to the local Salvation Army shop. Get thee to a cinema and indulge in some movie magic yourself.
x
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