I recently caught this on Netflix for the first time. Midnight in Paris tells the story of a writer named Gil who longs for a simpler time. He imagines himself being happier, if only he could have lived in Paris during the 1920’s. His unhappiness with his current life becomes the central theme of the movie and persists throughout.
Engaged to be married, Gil has recently decided to change his career. He saw a lot of success as a Hollywood screen writer, but wants to explore his ability to author books. This naturally causes problems with his in-laws to be, and even his fiance. One night while strolling Paris he finds himself swept away to the 1920’s. Unsure of what is happening he considers that he may have drank too much. He soon comes to realize though, that he is indeed in the 1920’s, and that he is face to face with great writers of the past. As Gil travels between time periods he begins to lose sight of where he belongs. He must eventually face himself, and come to terms with his own happiness.
I found this movie to be quite interesting. Parts of it felt drawn out, but I kept hanging on. I suspect that Owen Wilson had a huge part in keeping me interested. I thoroughly enjoy his acting, especially in roles where he plays a writer. I could attribute my fandom of Owen Wilson to that fact that I watched one of his movies while on a first date with my wife. Perhaps I associate happy memories with him. I only bring this up to warn that this film is a bit slow at some points.
The plot really took a while to take off. The beginning wasn’t the only slow part though. There were several drawn out scenes that I feel added very little to the movie. Despite this I still enjoyed watching, and I would recommend Midnight in Paris as something to catch on Netflix.
Starring: Owen Wilson
Rated: PG13
Runtime: 94min
HFR Rating:
