Midnight in Paris

Impressions before seeing it
The poster with the van Gogh sky caught my eye, and then I discovered it was a time travel movie by Woody Allen. Sounds like an awesome combination to me!

How was it?
Like many (or all?) of Woody Allen's protagonists, Gil (Owen Wilson) has a certain dissatisfaction about him, like he's looking for happiness but doesn't know where to begin. Then on a trip to Paris with his fiancee, he discovers that every night at midnight a car comes down the street and inexplicably drives him into the 1920's, which is perfect for him because in earlier scenes he was seen expressing love for 1920's Paris. Over a few magical nights, he meets a number of world renowned authors and artists from that time, and an enchanting French woman (Marion Cotillard), and learns a lot of important lessons from them. But to be clear, it's more of a feel-good dramedy than a preachy melodrama.

I always enjoy time travel movies, and I think an American tourist going back in time in another country is a new angle. I don't know how historically accurate it was to have all of these famous artists in one place at the same time in the '20's, but it made Gil's trips more interesting and it was fun to see them played by recognizable actors. As an aspiring writer, Gil encounters literary legends like Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein with the same wide-eyed enthusiasm that we would if we saw a famous actor at the grocery store, and I think seeing the time period through his excitement helps modern audiences connect more easily to what may be lost on them. Also, the group Gil is traveling with in modern day is a little on the rich and pretentious side, making the earlier time period more appealing by comparison. As the movie goes on, they just seem to get increasingly insufferable, and his friends in the '20's more lively and human. It is this change of atmosphere and company that helps him decide what he wants his life to be.

Recommendation
There is humour and charm to be found here, and if you have an affinity for historical figures of the creative variety then that's a nice bonus, too. I only knew of them from various art and English classes, but I'm glad I did because it added that extra layer of enjoyment. It's not a necessary prerequisite for liking Midnight in Paris, though, but being a Woody Allen fan may help somewhat. I know I had fun.