In honor of the 84th Academy Awards, The Feather will be reviewing each of the Best Picture nominees, excluding The Descendants, due to its rating. Although the films were all released in 2011, the reviews serve to refresh viewers’ memories before the Oscars, Feb. 26.
For a whimsical writer in the idyllic city of Paris, inspiration reaches a whole new level with Midnight in Paris. Director Woody Allen grabbed a total of four Oscar nominations for this film, released May 20, 2011.
While imaginative Gil Pender (Owen Wilson) spends a holiday with his fiancee, Inez (Rachel McAdams) and her parents (Kurt Fuller and Mimi Kennedy) in Paris, he finds himself yearning to stroll the streets while it rains, rather than scurrying from site to site. When they meet up with another couple, Paul (Michael Sheen) and Carol (Nina Arianda), Gil becomes even less eager to spend time with the group, led by Paul’s pretentious tours.
Wandering one night, the clock stikes midnight and a car from the 1920s drives up to Gil. After hesitating, he joins the inviting group inside. From there, he is awestruck to come across figures such as F. Scott (Tom Hiddleston) and Zelda (Alison Pill) Fitzgerald, Cole Porter (Yves Heck) and Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll). Well aware that they are long gone, Gil thinks himself insane. However, he soon gives in to his surrounding, and enjoys his time in the ’20s.
Returning to modern times, he is believed to be a lunatic by his skeptical fiancee. Despite this, Gil returns to the past for some literary criticisms from Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates), a romance with Hemingway’s lover, Adrianna (Marion Cotillard), and encounters several other notable figures.
As time goes on and Gil desires to live in old-fashioned Paris permanently, he comes to realize that no matter what time someone lives in, they will always be wishing to live in another.
For many, Midnight in Paris would be an absolute bore. As it is a dialogue-driven and historical film, Paul’s arguments about Auguste Rodin might be the epitome of dullness for someone who doesn’t care for the topic. However, to someone who has artistic interests, the story is a winner.
Allen put his classic, artistic touches on a a film deserving just that. Every ounce of cinematography and lighting echoes timeless Parisian charm. It is hard to ruin any movie with such a beautiful setting and design.
This was also proven acting-wise with Wilson’s performance. Since I am used to him playing goofy, comedic roles, I was not convinced that he would pull off the character of a thoughtful writer. However, his expressions, tones and movements were the perfect fit for a nostalgic, awe-struck man full of inspiration. He even succeeded in the more serious moments.
Other performances such as McAdams’s and Sheen’s added the perfect dose of personality to the screen. As Inez, McAdams plays the unimaginative role, and Sheen fits the pretentious bill right down to the proper holding of a wine glass — the contents of which are described as having a “slight smokey flavor.”
For each character, Allen proves that he is deserving of the Best Director Oscar nomination by throwing in those sorts of subliminal details. A viewer may not notice Paul being the only one to hold his wine glass correctly, but Allen certainly knew what he was doing. He was also spot on when he dressed Inez in nearly the same shirt-dress and belt every single day. To some, it is just a costume. To Allen, however, it reveals an uncreative mind.
Another place where the film really triumphs is in the “cameos.” From Salvador Dali (Adrien Brody) ranting about the rhinoceros to Cole Porter’s musicianship to criticisms of Pablo Picasso’s (Marcial Di Fonzo Bo) inaccurate portraits, Midnight in Paris keeps viewers eagerly awaiting the next special guest. The casting for each of these roles was perfect. With Gil, viewers partake in the experience of historical figures absolutely coming to life.
Observing every aspect of this production, it is certainly deserving of each Oscar nomination (Best Picture, Screenplay, Direction and Art Direction). It is a strong contender for these categories, though I doubt that the Academy will choose this understated film for Best Picture over the drama of other nominees.
I, on the other hand, will go on enjoying the spectacular art and witty components of Midnight in Paris.
Midnight in Paris runs for 94 minutes, and is rated PG-13 for some sexual references and smoking. The film is available to purchase on Amazon, iTunes and in most stores.
For more movie reviews, read the Jan. 11 article, Mi4 provides fill of intensity, adrenaline (VIDEO).
