Midnight in Paris (2011)

Featured Audience Ratings

• E.J. B

  
  Midnight in Paris is simply a delight to behold. If it isn't the best film by the end of 2011, I will be very very surprised. Like Annie Hall, Midnight in Paris highlights every facet of Woody Allen's talent, from his uncanny ability to create unique characters, his… More
  Midnight in Paris is simply a delight to behold. If it isn't the best film by the end of 2011, I will be very very surprised. Like Annie Hall, Midnight in Paris highlights every facet of Woody Allen's talent, from his uncanny ability to create unique characters, his unmatched ability to write fascinating and quirky dialogue, to his willingness to take risks. I loved this movie! Owen Wilson is perfectly cast in his role as Gil, a writer who feels out of place in his time. Wilson generally stars as these naive, soft spoken, likeable characters, and this is best work since Bottle Rocket. Never failing to mention his opinion that the 1920s Golden Age is be the best time to be alive, Gil undergoes much criticism from his soon to be wife (played by Rachel McAdams), her family, and his peers. He's just written a book and is fighting to publish it apart from the Hollywood system that employs him to do rewrites to scripts he feels far above. One night he decides to stroll through Paris and is whisked away into a magic realist portal through time, right into the Golden Age where he dialogues face to face with F. Scott FItzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, and Dalle. Woody Allen makes a film every year, and many of these are more like reasons to keep him working. But every so often he makes a film that is so unique, so wonderful, and so perfect that it reminds audiences to just what remarkable talent he has. Midnight in Paris is that movie. I studied the Modernist movement in university and every character is portrayed exactly as they might have been. The beautiful and lovely setting of Paris is magnified in multiple time periods, so that the evolution of the city itself becomes a parallel story. Within it, the characters that Gil meets in the past and the present serve to change his outlook on life. Through Gil, Woody Allen seems to be reflecting on the common belief that a person alive today may have been better off having been born in another time. That might be so, and Gil certainly feels right at home in 1920s Paris, but what shocks him is how many people living in this time don't agree. As Gil comes to terms with his purpose in life, and the choices he must make, we realize that we too should embrace the life we have, as there is no greater time to live than the present. What a remarkable film this is.

• Sanjay R

  
  A very original and satisfying film. Owen Wilson does a good job and Woody Allen writes a great screenplay that contrasts a person's life with their dream. He wonderfully illustrates ones unappreciative attitude towards the life and era they live in in a humorous/witty way . This… More
  A very original and satisfying film. Owen Wilson does a good job and Woody Allen writes a great screenplay that contrasts a person's life with their dream. He wonderfully illustrates ones unappreciative attitude towards the life and era they live in in a humorous/witty way . This is a nice, fulfilling movie.

• Jameson W

  
  I can't really say what I was expecting, but this was completely different than what I thought it would be; it's a good thing, too, because it was unlike anything I have ever seen before. I loved it! It really made me wonder what it would be like to live in another era and… More
  I can't really say what I was expecting, but this was completely different than what I thought it would be; it's a good thing, too, because it was unlike anything I have ever seen before. I loved it! It really made me wonder what it would be like to live in another era and meet all those important historical figures. This was actually my first Woody Allen film, so I can't really say how this stacks up with some of his other films, but it was certainly a very good directorial effort. The cast here, featuring a lot of household names, is perfect; everyone gives fine performances. It's definitely one of my favorite things about the film. The scenery and music is good as well. I also thought the writing was extremely solid. I loved the script, and it's no surprise that it was nominated for an Oscar. Including Best Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture, Midnight in Paris was nominated for 4 Academy Awards. One of the best films of 2011!

• Kase V

  
  Woody Allen's 'Midnight in Paris' is a delightfully entertaining film. Not only did the cinematography capture the city of Paris and flaunt its beauty, but Allen's script was one of the best of the year. Yet my favorite aspect of the film was the acting. The film… More
  Woody Allen's 'Midnight in Paris' is a delightfully entertaining film. Not only did the cinematography capture the city of Paris and flaunt its beauty, but Allen's script was one of the best of the year. Yet my favorite aspect of the film was the acting. The film was more than an observation of a modern relationship, its an observation of our relationships with the past and the people who populate it. Corey Stoll reenacted Hemingway's brilliant brooding, Tom Hiddlestone captured the indelible charm of Fitzgerald, and Adrian Brody completely exulted Dali's...stangeness. All these exciting characters melted together to form one of the most entertaining movies of the year.

• Thomas B

  
  Funny, beautiful and clever. Classic Allen. Full review later.

• Cynthia S

  
  Clever, funny, and beautifully shot. You wouldn't know this is a Woody Allen movie, except for the credits in the beginning. It is such a great idea. The main character, Owen Wilson, gets to go back in time every night at midnight to 1920's Paris--meeting all the famous… More
  Clever, funny, and beautifully shot. You wouldn't know this is a Woody Allen movie, except for the credits in the beginning. It is such a great idea. The main character, Owen Wilson, gets to go back in time every night at midnight to 1920's Paris--meeting all the famous writers, painters, etc. from that era...all of whom are people that he admires. Wonderfully done..

• Ken S

  
  My favorite Woody Allen film since Crimes and Misdemeanors.

• Lewis C

  
  "And actually, Paris is the most beautiful in the rain." Probably the most charming and fanciful Woody Allen movies that I've seen, and also one of the most enjoyable. Owen Wilson is great as a proxy Allen, transported back to the streets of 1920's Paris and… More
  "And actually, Paris is the most beautiful in the rain." Probably the most charming and fanciful Woody Allen movies that I've seen, and also one of the most enjoyable. Owen Wilson is great as a proxy Allen, transported back to the streets of 1920's Paris and looking for his "Golden Age" amongst the famous writers and artists that wafted through the city at that time. I really don't have any criticisms about the movie. The script is trademark Woody Allen, full of musings about life and happiness, but it's more subtle and natural than his dialogue can often be. The cast is great (Corey Stoll as Earnest Hemingway and Adrien Brody as Salavador Dali being two of the most memorable examples), and Paris looks so beautiful that it often can distract from what's going on with the characters. Fully recommended for Woody fans, Wilson fans, romantics at heart, and those who love Paris (both past and present).

• Stella D

  
  très charmant blah blah. enjoyed the premise (a variation on the much better purple rose of cairo). i like owen wilson but even i was getting a little sick of him here. fiancée and her family were stereotypes and about half the jokes fell flat. still i have to admit i mostly enjoyed… More
  très charmant blah blah. enjoyed the premise (a variation on the much better purple rose of cairo). i like owen wilson but even i was getting a little sick of him here. fiancée and her family were stereotypes and about half the jokes fell flat. still i have to admit i mostly enjoyed it. could've used more of brody's dalí character; he was my favorite of the historical figures. it is indeed the best new allen film i have seen in quite a few years but the very calculated effort to recapture some of the old magic feels a little forced. still nice try, woody

• Chris W

  
  This is Woody Allen's love letter to Paris, and not only that, but it is also his absolute best film in quite a long time. Sure, I gave very high marks to Match Point, but this comes closer than that to being a full 5 masterpiece. The story concerns a successful Hollywood… More
  This is Woody Allen's love letter to Paris, and not only that, but it is also his absolute best film in quite a long time. Sure, I gave very high marks to Match Point, but this comes closer than that to being a full 5 masterpiece. The story concerns a successful Hollywood screenwriter named Gil and his fiancee Inez on vacation in Paris with her parents. While there, Gil tries to work on a novel and do something more substantial with his life than just be a Hollywood hack. Through magical circumstances, he finds himself transported through a time slip at midnight to Paris during the 1920s, wherein he finds himself hanging out with his idols like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Pablo Picasso. Inez, her friends, and her family all think he's nuts, but this just might be the best thing that's ever happened to Gil, and could very well be the spark he'd been searching for to make his life complete. This is utterly andcompletely, Allen, charming, nostalgic, and fun. It's impossible to watch this and not feel moved, delighted, and overwhelmed with happiness. It's all laid on pretty thick, but it never comes off as sentimental or sickly sweet in a bad way. It's light and fun, and easy to fall in love with. It's got some typical Allen-isms, but the situation it presents is well done, creative, and fun. Allen's not known for having much visual flair or pizzaz with his work, but this film has some excellent cinematography and definitely applies as a visual work of art. The city looks excellent, and the 20s scenes really come alive thanks to his touch. Owen WIlson does nice work as the happily perplexed Gil, doing the Woody role without coming off as a ripoff. Rachel McAdams is fine as Inez, but seems ot get overshadowed. Then again, it's kinda is approproate given the plot. The real stars though are the supporting players, namely Marion COtillard as Picasso's mistress, Kathy Bates as Gertrude Stein, and Allison Pill as Zelda Fitzgerald. The others are good, but sometimes come off as more caricature and phoney. I really don't have a whole lot of negatives. Yes, I did mention how some of the performances stick out, but that's nota complete dealbreaker. The film had me guessing about how it would end, and I was partially right, but that also isn't a complete detriment to things. I think my biggest gripe is that the film had to end. Give this one a shot. It helps if you're already a Woody fan, as that makes it easier to get into, but you don't have to be a fan to fall in love.

• Luke B

  
  Midnight in Paris had so much hoopla surrounding it, that I was wary of approaching it. As someone that enjoys writing myself, the story of a writer could easily connect with me, or it could have annoyed me. Luckily it did the former. Wilson plays a Hollywood screenwriter that wants… More
  Midnight in Paris had so much hoopla surrounding it, that I was wary of approaching it. As someone that enjoys writing myself, the story of a writer could easily connect with me, or it could have annoyed me. Luckily it did the former. Wilson plays a Hollywood screenwriter that wants to work on his novel while in Paris. Unfortunately, and I never thought I'd say this, he is engaged to Rachel McAdams. She has become comfortable with his lifestyle, and doesn't want him to give everything up for something he may struggle with. WHile in Paris they meet up with Michael Sheen, playing a pedantic ass to perfection. I just wanted to cave his head in, and Wilson played off him exactly the way I would have done. Sheen's so called knowledge is the sauce of humour during the early half of the movie, as he gets his facts mixed up. Wilson soon winds up in the 1920's and meets his own literary heroes. Finally feeling appreciated, he spends every evening with his new found friends. This is certainly a film about writing, art, creativity, and being accepted. But it also goes further, looking at how all past is glamorised to a certain degree. This was a lovely film, with my only gripe being McAdams' character. She was simply so unappealing, that I had no idea as to why herself and Wilson were together. There was no chemistry, and not even a hint at anything resembling love. Luckily, such a poor relationship made it easier to accept some of Wilsons' actions. A great lot of co-starring roles are filled out by A-Listers having a lot of fun as classic artists from the past. Midnight in Paris, really is for those that love to walk in the rain.

• Spencer S

  
  This is one of the better Woody Allen films of the last twenty years. Its story is amazingly detailed and structured, the characters aren't imposing or influenced in order to be a Woody Allen film, and the direction, the cinematography, and shots of the city of Paris were some of… More
  This is one of the better Woody Allen films of the last twenty years. Its story is amazingly detailed and structured, the characters aren't imposing or influenced in order to be a Woody Allen film, and the direction, the cinematography, and shots of the city of Paris were some of the most beautiful I've seen of any city in a long while. This film builds up so much for any writer watching, because it ties such a commonplace intellectual quandary of Golden Age thinking into historical fantasy and vivid imagination. The cast was understated and the choices were great. This film didn't especially feel like a stylized Woody Allen but more of a quirky genre film. It had such grace, such affinity for the romanticism of Paris. The basis of the plot is that Hollywood hack Gil (Wilson) is inspired by the city of Paris, though his fiancée Inez (McAdams) is a more distant, dishonest, and selfish person than he, who lives in the real world. Through some kind of drunken or modern haze Gil is transported to twenties Paris night after night where he meets all manner of intellectuals, including Hemingway, Faulkner, Dali, Picasso, and Bunuel. Also in this time period he meets Adriana (Cotillard) a Parisian who she herself believes she would be happier in another era. This film explores the ideal that though you may feel you would be happier in another time period, every era has a certain amount of beauty, taste, sensuality, and glamour. This was certainly an important point to take, and it was handled masterfully. I loved the choices made in what intellectuals were to appear in the film. The whole thing felt like a comedic take on A Movable Feast, which I believe is the inspiration for making this film. Each intellectual had the exact characteristics of what has been written about them, and though this wasn't a historical piece it certainly looked professional and classic. I didn't feel that Owen Wilson was trying to be Allen or Allen was trying to integrate himself into this by any means. This is certainly one of the better Woody Allen films and best films of 2011. It stands to serve that this be Oscar bait for the oncoming awards season.

• c0up  

  
  'Midnight in Paris'. Playful, charming, magical. You can't help but fall in love! Woody Allen made me fall in love with Paris, nostalgia and Cotillard, all the while being hilarious and surprisingly surrealist.

• familiar s

  
  Wasn't expecting much and didn't get a great deal off it. Not that it's boring, just found the rating (i.e. IMDb rating which is 7.8 when this is being written, but was above 8 when I checked out the movie for the first time) too high for what it is. Probably because… More
  Wasn't expecting much and didn't get a great deal off it. Not that it's boring, just found the rating (i.e. IMDb rating which is 7.8 when this is being written, but was above 8 when I checked out the movie for the first time) too high for what it is. Probably because it's not my cup of tea. Whatever. Despite all that, enjoyed the detour enough to give it 6/10. Hope you'd enjoy the stroll at Midnight in Paris.

• Aaron N

  
  Inez: You're in love with a fantasy. There is a great, classic scene in Woody Allen's Annie Hall, which has Allen's character literally pull philosopher/literary critic Marshall McLuhan onto the frame, in order to have him directly tell another character why he is… More
  Inez: You're in love with a fantasy. There is a great, classic scene in Woody Allen's Annie Hall, which has Allen's character literally pull philosopher/literary critic Marshall McLuhan onto the frame, in order to have him directly tell another character why he is misinformed in his opinions, giving Allen the ultimate form of satisfaction. In Allen's latest film, Midnight in Paris, the lead character gets to spend lots of time amongst all of his greatest literary and artistic idols, receiving his own wonderful type of satisfaction. Full of energy and lots of whimsy, I greatly enjoyed this Paris-based film, which has Owen Wilson headlining a fine cast in a Woody Allen story that has an actual sturdy premise, which balances the comedy with the fantastical. Now delving into my thoughts, while writing about this film, I believe this actually is the most enjoyable Allen film that I have seen in quite some time. read the whole review at thecodeiszeek.blogspot.com

• Alexander D

  
  To say the very least, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS is by far one of the best films made in 2011. It takes a certain knowledge and appreciation of Woody Allen to understand the poetic humor put on display, but one who can appreciate that different type of humor will surely find this to be more… More
  To say the very least, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS is by far one of the best films made in 2011. It takes a certain knowledge and appreciation of Woody Allen to understand the poetic humor put on display, but one who can appreciate that different type of humor will surely find this to be more than just an enjoyable romantic comedy. One who has that sense of humor will understand how utterly hilarious this truly is. Full Review: http://wp.me/p1Urcx-zE

• Dan S

  
  A wildly creative and consistently funny and engaging fantasy concerning a slightly anti-social writer (Owen Wilson) who discovers an incredible secret in Paris which allows him to interact with some of the greatest writers and artists in the history of the world. This is pure… More
  A wildly creative and consistently funny and engaging fantasy concerning a slightly anti-social writer (Owen Wilson) who discovers an incredible secret in Paris which allows him to interact with some of the greatest writers and artists in the history of the world. This is pure fantasy, and you can tell Woody Allen is having a ball, whether it be by finding ways to insert some Woody-isms into Wilson's character, or finding someway to have philosophical discussion with biting dialogue, there is no questioning Allen's control and focus of his material here. The result is a funny, extremely likable film. Like Wilson's character, we do not want the story to end, and one could argue that only flaw in the film is its rather short running time (I could have easily gone 2 hours with this material). This is just a blast of a movie, and definitely one of the best films so far of 2011, and one that demands repeated views through the years, especially concerning its central message of honoring the present and not dwelling too much on the past, for one can lose yourself that way.

• Idrees K

  
  Typical, classic Woody Allen charm and wit, probably a bit more enjoyable if you have a bit of knowledge about some of the great American writers and maybe a bit of Parisian history. Not as in depth as some of Allen's other 'place-based' films, specifically Vicky… More
  Typical, classic Woody Allen charm and wit, probably a bit more enjoyable if you have a bit of knowledge about some of the great American writers and maybe a bit of Parisian history. Not as in depth as some of Allen's other 'place-based' films, specifically Vicky Cristina Barcelona (which you should also watch). But still rather enjoyable.

• jay n

  
  Woody's best in years. A charming fantasy with beautiful settings and gorgeous cinematography. The performances are uniformly excellent, even the usually hard to take Owen Wilson is enjoyable here as the Woody subsitute. One minor quibble is that while the characters of old are… More
  Woody's best in years. A charming fantasy with beautiful settings and gorgeous cinematography. The performances are uniformly excellent, even the usually hard to take Owen Wilson is enjoyable here as the Woody subsitute. One minor quibble is that while the characters of old are varied and interesting the modern ones are drawn in one dimension. Still a very pleasant diversion overall.

• Melvin W

  
  Ernest Hemingway: No subject is terrible if the story is true, if the prose is clean and honest, and if it affirms courage and grace under pressure.  "Paris after midnight... is magic." Midnight in Paris is a breathtaking film from Woody Allen. It is a film filled with… More
  Ernest Hemingway: No subject is terrible if the story is true, if the prose is clean and honest, and if it affirms courage and grace under pressure.  "Paris after midnight... is magic." Midnight in Paris is a breathtaking film from Woody Allen. It is a film filled with beautiful Paris scenery, beautiful music and one of the most beautiful girls you could ever imagine, Marion Cotillard. This is one of my new favorites from Woody Allen. It is up there with Match Point and Hannah and Her Sisters. The movie is so beautiful to look at and listen to, and oddly fun in the fantasy it creates. I really just can't get over how amazing this movie really is. A young engaged couple, Gil and Inez are vacationing in Paris with Inez's parents. While there Gil starts to see that they may not be as compatible as he once thought. He dreams of moving to Paris; she wants to live in Malibu. He loves walking in the rain, she loves to be dry in a car. She also shows strong admiration for Paul, a pretentious douche, who is an expert in wine and art. Soon, Gil comes to find out that at midnight he is transported back to the 1920's, a time period he envies. There he meets all his heroes like Hemingway and Fitzgerald, but he also meets the young lover of Picasso.  This film is pure magic and features a strong cast led by Owen Wilson and two incredibly gorgeous women, Rachel McAdams and Marion Cotillard. The movie features some of Allen's best writing in a long time. It is imaginative and highly original, while still being entertaining, beautiful, and sweet. Also, you have to love the ending and the way it was set up throughout the film. Woody Allen has always been great, even when he was staring in his movies, but I've noticed that there's something special about a Woody Allen film that he isn't in. I've only seen two movies of his that he hasn't starred in, and I've absolutely loved them both. The first being Match Point, which stands as one of my favorite movies ever, and now Midnight in Paris.  Woody Allen for Best Original Screenplay.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings