Midnight in Paris is a movie that stayed with me long after viewing. It is a sweet romantic comedy/fantasy starring Owen Wilson who is perfect as stand in for Woody Allen. Playing the part of screenwriter Gil Pender, he is on vacation in Paris with his materialistic fiancé and her like-minded parents. Though they seem to love each other, he is gradually realizing their differences, subtle though they seem at first. For instance, getting wet and walking in the rain in Paris holds no interest for her while he feels this would be the perfect romantic Paris experience. While she and her parents would rather shop, he would rather explore the city itself. The fascination and fantasy begins when after dining with his fiancé and friends, who then decide to go out dancing, he instead chooses to take a stroll back to the hotel and gets lost along the way. To tell what happens next would be giving away too much but suffice it to say that characters from the 1920’s such as Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Picasso, and Dali make appearances and give fuel to Gil’s nostalgia for the Golden Age in Paris as well as his desire to finish his first novel.
Setting the tone for this movie is the wonderful music and the cinematography is outstanding in its capturing of the beauty of Paris. I recommend seeing this movie. It will leave you in a good mood.