93% Midnight in Paris

(not exactly a review)So here it is Paris. Paris, the city of light, the place that is always a party. Paris, the city of passion, art and beauty. Paris itself is a clich? and it knows it quite well. Jack Hamilton, character of Curzio Malaparte?s "The Skin", called Europe la banlieue de Paris. Of course Paris had been a cultural reference, the center of artistic and intellectual life, but we all know, or should know, that those golden ages are gone. Why do I say that? Because it?s really annoying to listen or read people saying "Oh, I have to visit it" after watching last Woody Allen?s movie. Paris can be compared to the match of a very good modern digital camera and a natural beautiful spot. I mean, it?s almost impossible to not taking back home some stunning pictures even if you don?t know anything at all about photography. It?s the same about Paris. Paris is impressively beautiful and specially charming for those who love history and old architecture that the chances of following in love with it are really big. However, if you haven?t seen this city with your own eyes, before booking your flight, make sure to watch, humm, for example, "Code Unknown" directed by Michael Haneke or "Loin du 16e", Place des F?tes" and even "Tuileries", all segments of "Paris, je t?aime". Because the romantic idea we have of it doesn?t fit that well with its reality. And I am not talking about Gil "waking up" and finding out that to create is necessary to live in the present. He still wakes up in a fantasy: the "cultured" and young and belle parisien girl on the Pont Alexandre III. I do understand him quite well, actually. I had tears in my eyes when I reached out the "Rive Gauche" and thought that Beauvoir and Sartre had walked through those same streets. I even thought that those times, their times, were much better than now. To dream with the past or with the future like "better times to live" are quite obvious and known feelings among humans. I wouldn?t need to meet Fitzgerald and Hemingway or Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec to find it out. Or Woody Allen to tell me it so. (When did Allen start to give us little moral lessons, by the way?) What I mean with reality goes beyond fancy restaurants and upper-class American families vacationing in Europe. However, Paris can still be a dream.Woody Allen?s Paris didn?t please me at all what, I have to say, it was quite a surprise once I love Woody Allen?s movies and his NY. But, once again, Paris can still be a dream and in my case, Christophe Honor? portraits it almost perfectly. Speaking about him, I really liked too see his muse, L?a Seydoux, in "Midnight in Paris" even if in such a small role. I dare to say that she would be a better Adriana than Marion Cotillard. I know it was probably only me, but Cotillard didn?t call my attention at all and definitely didn?t convince me that she could run off with Hemingway to Africa. Ok, maybe it was not entirely her fault. First: Alison Pill?s Zela Fitzgerald. She is fascinating, the most lively character for sure. Secondly: a few days before, I watched "The Moderns" and Rachel Stone, played by Linda Fiorentino, is the perfect image of a ma?tresse of painters and writers of that time. In matter of fact, "The Moderns", directed by Alan Rudolph, is a much better representation of Paris in the twenties, unless Allen was really laughing on all his idols and on us. A critic wrote that you don?t need to be an intellectual to watch this movie. You definitely don?t! "Midnight in Paris" is a nice film with mass appeal. If you smiled because you "knew" most of the names/characters, and I am included there, Woody Allen was probably behind the screen laughing on us for being such a pedants. "Nostalgia is denial, denial of the painful present", says Paul. *I am not sure if I could express myself that well, so this review can do it for me: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/jun2011/midn-j03.shtml

November 15, 2010

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/midnight_in_paris/

viggo mortensen combat arms gonorrhea cake boss coney island days inn rumba