Midnight in Paris (2011)

While on a trip to Paris with his fiancé's family, a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight.

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer:

Woody Allen

Stars:

Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kurt Fuller

Won 1 Oscar. Another 18 wins & 52 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Owen Wilson	...	Gil
Rachel McAdams	...	Inez
Kurt Fuller	...	John
Mimi Kennedy	...	Helen
Michael Sheen	...	Paul
Nina Arianda	...	Carol
Carla Bruni	...	Museum Guide
Maurice Sonnenberg	...	Man at Wine Tasting
Thierry Hancisse	...	1920's Partygoer
Guillaume Gouix	...	1920's Partygoer
Audrey Fleurot	...	1920's Partygoer
Marie-Sohna Conde	...	1920's Partygoer (as Marie-Sohne Condé)
Yves Heck	...	Cole Porter
Alison Pill	...	Zelda Fitzgerald
Tom Hiddleston	...	F. Scott Fitzgerald

Storyline

Gil and Inez travel to Paris as a tag-along vacation on her parents' business trip. Gil is a successful Hollywood writer but is struggling on his first novel. He falls in love with the city and thinks they should move there after they get married, but Inez does not share his romantic notions of the city or the idea that the 1920s was the golden age. When Inez goes off dancing with her friends, Gil takes a walk at midnight and discovers what could be the ultimate source of inspiration for writing. Gil's daily walks at midnight in Paris could take him closer to the heart of the city but further from the woman he's about to marry.

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Plot Keywords:

midnight | 1920s | writer | love | golden age | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sexual references and smoking

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Facebook [ES]

Country:

Spain USA

Language:

English French Spanish German

Release Date:

10 June 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Medianoche en París

Filming Locations:

Arc de Triomphe, Paris 8, Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

$17,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$599,003 (USA) (20 May 2011)

Gross:

$56,816,662 (USA) (16 March 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gravier Productions, Mediapro, Pontchartrain Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film was one of a number of movies that were in competition at the 2012 Academy Awards that was related to France and French culture in some way. The films included The Artist, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, Puss in Boots from the French fairy-tale by Charles Perrault, Rise of the Planet of the Apes based on the novel by Pierre Boulle and A Cat in Paris. Interestingly though, there was no French film nominated for the Best Foreign Film Academy Award (Oscar) in 2012.

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Goofs

In a scene set in the 1920s, the small bollards lining the kerbs to prevent cars from parking with two wheels on the pavement can be seen - they were installed in the 1990s.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Gil: This is unbelievable! Look at this! There's no city like this in the world. There never was.
Inez: You act like you've never been here before.
Gil: I don't get here often enough, that's the problem. Can you picture how drop dead gorgeous this city is in the rain? Imagine this town in the '20s. Paris in the '20s, in the rain. The artists and writers!
Inez: Why does every city have to be in the rain? What's wonderful about getting wet?

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Connections

Featured in Maltin on Movies: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

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Soundtracks

"Recado"
Written & Composed by Djalma Ferreira & Luiz Antônio (as Luiz Antonio)
© Fermata Do Brasil (Drink Editora Musical)
Used by permission of Rytvoc, Inc.
Performed by Original Paris Swing
Courtesy of Ramón Galán, F. Lochon, L. Fradelizi & V. Frade

User Reviews

Parisian Holiday

"Do you think it's possible to love two women at the same time?," asks our protagonist Gil Prender to a tour guide discussed Auguste Rodin's love for his mistress and his wife. Like that's the first time we've heard that question in a Woody Allen movie. Infidelity, gorgeous women, and neuroticism are some of Allen's favorite motifs, so it's really not too much of a surprise that they all appear in Midnight in Paris.

That said, Allen's rendition of those ideas feels fresh this time. Midnight in Paris is a sweet, fun romp through the art world of France. This light comedy may not have some of the heavier messages about adultery and art that previous Allen films have had, but Midnight in Paris is, nonetheless, an enjoyable exercise in allusion to the Lost Generation and artists of the 1920s.

Midnight in Paris begins with the same idea of a man, in this case a screenwriter named Gil played by Owen Wilson, searching for connection with the real world. The protagonist is clearly a projection of Allen's self, but no matter. Gil is engaged to the Inez, played by a blond Rachel McAdams who coincidentally (or is it?) looks like Scarlet Johansson from Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Inez bores Gil with her pretentious friends and spiteful parents, which ultimately causes Gil to seek inspiration on his own time by drunkenly wandering that streets of Paris. One night, he is invited into a car that takes him back to the 1920s where he meets his favorite writers and artists, something that eventually leads to a breakthrough in his work. A large supporting cast includes Kathy Bates, Allison Pill, Adrien Brody, Michael Sheen, and Marion Cotillard.

Allen's conception of Paris is just as romantic as the story itself. The film's physical look matches some of the complexities of the women in that it appears to be almost splashed in gold. It is, after all, the City of Lights. It's a beautiful movie that matches the pretty faces of its starring women.

Allen's screenplay leaps right off the page thanks to his cast, but this too is something that isn't unusual for a Woody Allen film. At his best, Allen picks actors that play their parts with a sense of realism that, when combined with some elements of the fantastic, charm the audience. Just about everyone here manages to do just this, with the exception of Rachel McAdams, who tries her hardest with an underdeveloped character. Marion Cotillard is the best of the cast (as per usual) in her role as Picasso's mistress. She's bursting with sexuality yet she's grounded in her ability to deliver her dialogue with her natural French accent.

Midnight in Paris is fantastique. In comparison to Woody Allen's previous tales of lust and spite, his newest film feels like a dessert rather than a filling entree, yet this is exactly how a good, highbrow summer movie should be. The cast shines just as bright as the lights at the top of the Eiffel Tower and Allen proves himself worthy of his place in society as a master director once again. By no means a classic, Midnight in Paris is a pretty little diversion, one that is grounded in a theatrical gimmick that totally works every time. This, along with The Tree of Life, will be one of a few summer movies that will dazzle visually (without explosions) and somehow manage not to insult the viewer's intelligence.