Midnight in Paris directed by Woody Allen (Gravier
Productions, Mediapro, Televisió de Catalunya, PG-13, 94 minutes)
Starring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams,
Kathy Bates, and Marion Cotillard.
Why Facebook Causes Covetousness
With the advent
of Facebook, a new form of the grass-is-greener mentality flowers from the
ever-present news feed. Each day when we access our social media, we observe the
seemingly wonderful and sometimes over-the-top lives of our friends, family,
and acquaintances.
Acutely aware of
our own mundane existence, we see these contacts and covet their lifestyles.
This person got promoted; that person bought a house; this family has a child;
that family travels Europe; I’m sitting on a couch; woe is me.
In Woody Allen’s
new movie, Midnight in Paris, the
acclaimed screenwriter and director confronts this grass-is-greener mentality.
Paris: A Golden City, a Golden Era
Set in modern day
Paris, Gil (Owen Wilson) and his fiancée, Inez (Rachel McAdams), have tagged
along with her parents who are in France on business. A prosperous Hollywood
screenwriter, Gil carries a privileged life back home but can’t help but be
enamored with Paris and its long history of housing fine artists and authors.
As an aspiring
literary novelist, Gil is drawn to the idea of moving to Paris and frequenting
the bars and cafes that literary giants converged in during the golden era of
the 1920s.
During a drunken
walk in the Parisian night, Gil finds himself transported through time to the
1920s. After settling from his initial shock, Gil befriends both Fitzgerald and
Hemingway, and even finds the opportunity to share his unpublished novel with
Gertrude Stein.
Every night at
midnight, Gil jumps into an old Puegot and spends the rest of the evening with
the many brilliant artists of the 1920s. While with these influential people,
Gil befriends Pablo Picasso’s (Marcial Di Fonzo Bo) mistress, Adriana (Marion
Cotillard), and falls for her. Struck by the absurdity of his time traveling
scenario, Gil thinks nothing of his smitteness until further reflection reveals
buried tensions in his relationship with his fiancée.
Why Nostalgia Is Never the Answer
From not wanting
to move to Paris, to belittling him amongst friends, Gil finds many reasons for
ending the engagement and living in the 1920s. Yet, while spending time with
Adrianna, Gil learns that she wishes to live in the 1890s.
This realization,
coupled with an understanding that his nostalgia functions as an escape from
the mundane job and life he leads in Hollywood, Gil understands that life is a
constant coveting other’s situations.
While I enjoyed the writing, acting, and cinematography thoroughly, I found Midnight in Paris lacking in its final conclusions. For the sake of keeping spoilers out of the review, I will not mention the specifics, but suffice to say, given the principle that a realized nostalgia does not equate to a better life, I wish that Gil’s final choices in the movie mimicked this realization.
Life Is Boring, and that’s OK
Likewise, our
Facebook browsing never reveals the whole truth. We think that all of our
friends are living better lives than we are. But, these people choose to post
specific and fun items from their lives. For the most part, we don’t find a
friend’s status claiming, “Just finished eating a microwave dinner; can’t wait
to watch Jerry Springer tonight!”
Such a status is boring. But, you know what? Life is boring.
Had Gil permanently time-traveled to 1920s Paris, he would have acclimated and
grown frustrated with the mundane.
If you are
looking for a well-written movie with an entertaining premise, I recommend Midnight in Paris.
Verdict: 4 out of 5
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