Midnight in Paris (2011, Woody Allen)

There are many great directors that are still around today bringing out new material which is always interesting to see. Seeing giants from the '70s still making movies. But of course many people will always compare their latest work with their earlier work, and no director is more compared to their earlier work than Woody Allen.

Starting with Take the Money and Run back in 1969, Woody later became renoundly famous with his brilliant multi-Oscar winning romcom Annie Hall. Then of course came Manhattan in gorgeous black and white and going into the '80s with more of his best work like Hanna and her Sisters and my personal favourite Crimes and Misdemeanors in 1989.

In the last 10 years, Woody has shown a great interest in Europe however starting with Match Point set in London which to me was a great comeback to classic Woody Allen. Then he went to Barcelona and made Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Now he's gone to Paris and given us Midnight in Paris.

This is an absolute delight to watch, it features a young couple staring Owen Wilson as Gil and Rachel McAdams as Inez who are visiting Paris with Inez's parents as her father is there on business. There are soon to get married yet are very different from each other, more than they even realize. Inez wants a perfect house in L.A. and would never live outside the States. Gil on the other hand is a successful Hollywood screenwriter yet wishes to write to leave Hollywood and write a novel and live in Paris (if he could have it his way, Paris in the 1920s). Not only that, whilst in Paris, Inez is interested in the great Parisian shops and takes cabs everywhere, Gil wants to walk everywhere even if its raining and just want to experience Paris.

(Spoiler Alert)
However one night (midnight to be precise), he gets his wish. An beautiful old 1920s car stops and picks him up and takes him to a party filled with many interesting people such as F. Scott Fitzgerald (yes, THE F. Scott Fitzgerald). At first he thinks this is joke and since he's a little drunk, he begins to think he's hallucinating. But later realizes this is actually happening and is so over whelmed that he goes back the next day and can't get enough.

This is an absolute surprise of a film and a very dreamy film as well. I also think it is Owen's best work to date. He is the key element of the film, he's enthusiastic, he hates the 'suito' intellectual that we all hate but his girlfriend digs, and is quote the honest guy and is of course to some extent playing Woody Allen.

This is Woody's 41st film and it doesn't looking like he's throwing in the towel any time soon. In fact it seems he's continuing his European tour and is next to be in Rome.

The film even features some terrific little performances, mainly from Kathy Bates and also one of my favourite actresses working today Marion Cotillard. It is a well written film and also a very positive thinking film as well and a film that everyone can enjoy. Pure escapism.

Click here for the trailer

Rating: 3.5 / 4