Response to Midnight In Paris

 

Woody Allen’s film Midnight In Paris takes you back in time to the thriving 20’s in Paris. The main character, Gil, who is played by Owen Wilson, is a struggling American writer. Gil lived in Paris once before and very much regrets leaving; he is a romantic who enjoys walking the streets of Paris in the rain. His fiancée, Inez, who is played by Rachel McAdams, is more so the opposite. She is a more logical thinker, not so imaginative and outside the box. She does not long for this cushy lifestyle of literature and passion in Paris; instead she wants to live in Malibu.

While Gil, Inez and her parents are visiting Paris, Inez goes out dancing one night and Gil decides to walk home alone. Gil gets lost, but stumbles upon time portal that brings him back to the 1920s each night at midnight. The 1920s is what Gil views as the “Golden Age”, the picture-perfect time period to live in. While Gil is visiting the 1920s, he meets some remarkable people. He meets Zelda and Scott Fitsgerald, Cole Porter, Josephine Baker as well as Ernest Hemingway. Gil could not be more amazed at his experiences. Hemingway agrees to show Gil's up-and-coming novel to Gertrude Stein to look over.

The following night, Gil attempts to show Inez this remarkable gateway to the 1920s but while they wait she becomes annoyed and impatient, thinking he is going crazy and that nothing was going to happen. Inez takes a taxi home and Gil waits, and as the clock strikes midnight, he travels back in time again.

For the next couple nights, Gil spends his time in the beautiful past time of Paris. He meets many more historical writers and artists, such as Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali, just to name a few. His late night wanderings make his fiancée suspicious, as well as her father. Inez’s father hires a detective to follow Gil each night to see what he is up too; however, this plan does not work out too well. The detective ends up “going missing”, in other words, going back in time along with Gil, except to a further back time period.

In the end, Gil retrieves his edited novel from Gertrude Stein, and based on her edits, Gil believes his fiancée is cheating on him. He confronts Inez, in the present, and she admits to these accusations. Gil, not to heartbroken over it, ends up cutting things off with Inez and moves to Paris.  

Overall, while visiting, Gil begins to sort out his unhappiness with his job, his life and his fiancé. However, after talking to people in that era, he begins to realize that almost everyone wishes to live in a different time that they themselves have pictured to be perfect and better than their present. I really enjoyed this movie! It was beautifully done. The scenes of Paris were gorgeous and the way the artists connected with the readings and research we have been doing in class was very interesting. Also, I liked the modern twist it had with the romantic story line, as well as the actors.