Throwback Thursday: Midnight in Paris

Midnight in Paris, 2011
Director: Woody Allen
Starring: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams
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Midnight in Paris is a move that I absolutely loved from the first moment I saw it. It is about an American writer, Gil (Wilson), and his fiancée Inez (McAdams) who are visiting Paris with her parents. Gil is a screenwriter and is pretty successful in Hollywood. However his true dream is to write a novel while living in Paris. Inez doesn't understand his nostalgic romanticism for the city and as a result Gil finds himself going for walks alone. One night he's transported back to the 1920s and he meets up with some of his heroes: Cole Porter, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemmingway, and many more.

Gil's novel has a character who wants to open a nostalgia shop; a sort of store for memories of a time and place that one has never visited. This mirrors his own nostalgia for the "golden age" of Paris in the 1920s and at first he's so overwhelmed that he can barely take it all in. As the story progresses, Gil becomes more confident and starts to believe in himself and his dream thanks to the people he's meeting in the past. But this comes with a cost: his relationship with Inez. He's forced to re-evaluate his entire life thanks to his trips to the 1920s.

The story itself isn't too complicated once you get past the time-travel-at-midnight concept and I appreciated the simplicity. Gil just wants someone to read his book and tell him that he's a good writer but is afraid to let anyone read it in case they say he's awful; he is afraid to take the risk. So he stays with what he knows, even though it isn't making him happy. Haven't we all felt that way at one point?

It's hard for me to put into words exactly why I enjoyed Midnight in Paris so much but I think it comes down to atmosphere. The imagery, the historical figures, the costumes, and the music all come together to create a perfectly nostalgic and romantic version of the most romantic city in the world. Speaking of the music, I own the soundtrack and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes to go for quiet walks because most of the music comes from moments where Gil is walking. The music can transport you to your very own version of Paris as you walk through the snow or the rain or the sunshine.

I highly recommend Midnight in Paris to anyone who appreciates a visually beautiful, quiet film with a great soundtrack and Woody Allen humour. Don't let the fact that Owen Wilson is the star put you off because he is fantastic in this movie. He uses his natural excitement and enthusiasm to his advantage and it works so well because Gil is thrilled to be in Paris and Wilson always sounds thrilled about everything when he talks. I promise that by the end of this movie you'll be just as excited as he is to visit the City of Light.