Midnight in Paris: An Artistic Walk Through The City of Love

Posted by Nicholas Boland | Posted in University Section | Posted on 20-06-2011

Directors and writers are fascinated with cities of all types.  Small, large, cosmopolitan, rural; some of the best films can create feelings of all types by fixating themselves within the city and weaving an unforgettable journey within.  Paris has been a constant location of exposure and has been home to many great films that represent both the city’s values and showcases situations and emotions that have never been thought of before.  Woody Allen’s anticipated, Midnight in Paris, is another film to add to this category.  A much more fantastical entry than many may think, Midnight may not be Allen’s most emotive and insightful film but is still a fascinating watch that represents both the city’s magical past and a message to artists.

The film’s biggest source of debate will be in its plot direction and some content.  Hopefully, the story will not come out as a surprise to any reader by now (from any preview or trailer), but it goes in fantastical directions that is core to the story and experience.  Some audience members that come into the film expecting a more real and grounded experience are going to have a difficult time taking this in.  Perhaps it is because of the marketing or the direction that Allen takes with the plot progression, but I do feel the fantastical story is a real issue because of some trouble transitioning styles, which will alienate viewers that do not accept the plot when it finally does transition.  Additionally, characterizations are limited in terms of most of the periphery characters, especially those associated with the ‘real world.’ They feel oddly hollow and one-sided than interesting and mature as many of the great Allen characters are.

However, to those that can get past these points, Midnight delivers a witty, fun, and insightful adventure.  The main characters are well developed and thought out.  Gil, especially, is such a wonderful centerfold, embodying Woody Allen himself and what it must have been like for him to walk through Paris as an outsider and the artistic inspirations he receives from the city.  Speaking of the city, as many successful films do, Allen breathes so much life into Paris itself as well.  Especially as changes start to happen within the city, Allen does not hold back on showing off his love and respect of the locales and history which translates to Gil’s obsession with them.  The cinematography, while not grand or unique, lovingly lingers on these locales to further emphasize this point, especially in the introduction.  And finally, all of these positive points can be attributed to the sharp writing.  Even the slightly zanier sections where Gil meets the larger than life figures never feels like it devolves into slapstick or complete lunacy.  There are laughs to be had ,but they come out of both the initial shock factor and some clever connections with the core plot device (that viewers will have to find out themselves), and smarlty connects with the characters’ core personalities and growth.  Issues of artistic inspiration, cosmopolitanism, and love are all taken and examined with some touching and intriguing results.

Midnight in Paris is a good Allen film that takes a city and creates an artistic interpretation of both the cities values and his own.  Some viewers might be off-put by the plot’s wacky set-up and the ensuing chaos along with a few skimpy characterizations and plot conventions.  However, what these viewers may miss is the fascinating character that Allen has created out of the city of Paris and how natural it feels to interplay it with the likes of a stellar cast and sharp writing.  Allen captures the stories a city can have and weaves a tale around an exciting and vibrant history of one location.  Much like Gil and all the major artists that have come before, he creates an inspired story that only those with that same fascination and mystique will seemingly appreciate.

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