I'd heard absolutely wonderful things about Midnight in Paris from all over: critics loved it, film bloggers were delighted by it, even my own brother said it was really good. So when I finally found a time to settle in to watch the film, I was pretty excited, expecting big things... but was ultimately disappointed.
Now, don't get me wrong. Midnight in Paris is a charming little film filled with lots of imagination, a witty and interesting screenplay, an involving plot and some endearing performances... but, frankly, the whole thing came off as somewhat slight. The whole film I expected some big cathartic moment where suddenly everything becomes clear for Owen Wilson's character... but it was not to be. He learns the grass isn't always greener on the other side. How charming.
While I can't say that I was completely enthralled in the intellectual world created by Woody Allen in the film, I never found it confusing, which is a credit to the lovely screenplay. I consider myself a pretty educated guy, but start throwing around theories by Gertrude Stein and Ernest Hemingway and Salvador Dalí and chances are you lost me... this was not the case in this film. So it's a job well done in that aspect.
I know it probably sounds like I didn't enjoy this film, but that's not the case. The film is a breath of fresh air, filled with charm and intelligent talk all without coming off as pretentious, which isn't easy. Plus, the performances are truly something to smile about. As a whole though, the feeling is just that the movie is "cute"... not Best Picture worthy, though.
