MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, both romantic and pleasantly nostalgic. by: Uel Ceballos

Photo clips taken from the movie "Midnight in Paris"

I've never been to Paris but I’ve been long dying hard to get there someday. Until I watched Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, and it all seemed like I was already transported there mentally if not physically. This romantic comedy fantasy film was entirely shot in Paris and I just couldn’t help myself admiring the opening montage of the film, wherein breathtaking shots of Paris were being shown while sweet Jazz music was played on the background – very romantic indeed.

Rachel McAdams as Inez, Owen Wilson as Gil Pender
Photo clip taken from "Midnight in Paris" movie

Midnight in Paris in the direction and screenplay of Woody Allen was first released in 2011 but I only got to watch it this year 2013. I assumed from the title itself that it would be all about love and romance since Paris was what most of us referred to as “The City of Love”. I was not that excited at first-- maybe because I was not really a fan of Owen Wilson (I never like his Wedding Crasher though he gave me a good laugh in his old movie Bottle Rocket).

Photo clips taken from the movie "Midnight in Paris"

I never thought that there would be a fantasy play on Midnight wherein Gil Pender traveled back time to the era of 1920. But what really added more sparks to my interest were the presentations of real personalities from the past, incorporating them to the film, and getting them to meet Gil Pender, the guy who came from the modern year! I just couldn’t contain my full appreciation of Woody Allen’s creativity as he put on his movie the presence of celebrated writers and public figures like Ernest Hemingway, Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Josephine Baker, Cole Porter, Gertrude Stein and Pablo Picasso!

Woody Allen is a writer and artist himself, so small wonder that meeting these famous celebrities is what he also wishes for himself even just through the making of such a well-written film like Midnight in Paris. The effect on me was quite strong that I even fantasized myself traveling back like Gil and meeting the like of Fitzgerald and Hemingway –Oh! I must have then the book of “The Great Gatsby” and “The Old Man and The Sea” for their autograph!

It was also an amusing scene to watch the character portrayals of famous writers and artists, looking more onto their being humans rather than on their being as renowned celebrities from the past. Though the things you would see on them in the movie were nothing different to the autobiographical details written about them, still the effect it had was really fantastic.

I got to like Owen Wilson here, his being naturally charming and funny fit perfectly for the character of Gil Pender. And the cinematography – I really loved it! Woody Allen has given the film a balmy texture, wherein the ambiance was sustained in a warm tone all throughout the movie and the effect it had was so perfectly pleasant and beautiful.

I will now leave the rest of the details for those who haven’t seen the movie yet. For this excellent movie made with nostalgia-modernism combination, let’s cheer for it with 8 SHOTS OF ESPRESSO!