And yes, I did love the movie. In a big part because it is filmed in Paris and the first few minutes of the movie are nothing but random shots of the city, different neighborhoods, different times of day, rain and sun. The city of Paris is an intregal character in this film and I was hooked before a human character appeared on the screen. Additionally, the main themes of the movie are true Woody Allen themes: love, happiness, the meaning of life. Not that he ever explains any of those, but he questions everything that we think about them as he does in all his films.
In "Midnight in Paris" Allen creates characters that are almost larger than life because they are mostly from the past, and therefore cannot be real because they are dead. Doesn't sound very interesting, but it works because they are almost caricatures of who they were in their time. And it's incredibly funny; every time we see Hemingway, for example, he talks like he writes, which is not how normal people talk, so he sounds like a book. Perhaps you have to hear it to get it, but is very funny. You also have to buy into the fantasy, of course, in order to like the movie, but once you accept that Gil, the main character, really is being transported to the 1920's and 30's, once you relax into the romantic notion of it all, you can simply enjoy the journey.
I won't get into the plot because it really doesn't matter and from the beginning of the film you almost know how it is going to end. Just taking that ride with Gil is what is so charming about the movie. In my opinion, this is a small gem, something that I want to hold in my hand, put in my pocket and keep with me for a while.
Two thumbs up, four stars, Little Man standing in his chair clapping enthusiastically. See it on the big screen if only to see Paris as lovely as she can be.
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