Have you always dreamed of seeing Paris? Are you a student studying literature or acting? Do you enjoy the classical arts or nostalgia for history? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then Midnight in Paris is a perfect film to brighten your dreary weekend.
Midnight In Paris is one of Woody Allen’s best films, being awarded a Golden Globe for Best Screenplay and an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. The movie covers the time travels of a 21st century Hollywood screenwriter. Woody Allen introduces our protagonist played by Owen Wilson to significant figures of the 1920s, including renowned novelist Ernest Hemingway and famous Jazz artist Cole Porter.
The movie is set in the cobblestone streets of Paris, otherwise known as the city of romance. Gil, the protagonist, spends his days with his fiancee, who is a materialist and doesn’t share Gil’s craving for a simple writer’s life. Their differences are sharply contrasted with Gil’s preference to live in Paris while his fiancee’s dream is to live in Malibu.
Gil’s midnight time travels to a nostalgic 1920s Paris are framed in a golden warm glow, merriment and music are the background to his moments in this era. In contrast, his days are spent with a fiancee and her friends who seem to scorn the very things Gil enjoys. The introduction of great artists is fitting as Gil searches for inspiration to finish his first novel. He exchanges words with many prominent artists of this era such as Salvador Dali, a surrealist artist, and even has his novel read by Gertrude Stein, an American novelist and poet.
Midnight in Paris teaches us that we often look on the past as better than the present. However, as the movie portrays, the olden days of these historical figures might not have been so glamorous as we imagine. History can only tell us half the story, the everyday struggles and small details of the artists’ lives may not be so well recorded.
In summary, Midnight In Paris is a work of cinematic art with beautiful scenery and music, excellent acting and screenplay; you will be glad you took the time to watch it.
