Have you ever had a theoretical conversation about time transport? If you could travel back in time, what era, setting, and circumstance would you choose? I have had this dialogue many times, and my answer has always been Paris at the beginning of the 20th century. I remember my disappointment when the film "Moulin Rouge" came out, and I watched as the characters broke out in a montage of Madonna songs. I had obviously not done my research about the musical nature of the film and been hoping for something a little closer to a documentary about the famed night spot, its patrons and environs...oops!
Now, ten years later, Woody Allen has given me that gift. His latest film, "Midnight in Paris" is an absolute delight. Though not a documentary, it does the era and the setting great justice. Owen Wilson, the movie's lovable protagonist Gil, does a superb job of playing a wistful modern-day "Hollywood hack" writer who longs for more noble pursuits as a novelist. Gil is enchanted with the idea of Paris in the 1920s and while on vacation in the city, through a not totally explained twist (just go with it), gets the gift of visiting that era. His lucky adventures gain him access to bars, parties, and homes where he meets the "who's who" of the intelligentsia of the time: F Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, Man Ray, Cole Porter, and Pablo Picasso are just a few. With every scene I found myself perking up in my chair, and letting my art, music, and literary history kick in to reveal the characters' identities. Great fun. This is a must see!
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| Adrien Brody as Salvador Dali |
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| Corey Stoll as Ernest Hemingway |
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