Midnight in Paris

Written and directed by the genius Woody Allen this fantastic fantasy comedy tells the story of a young engaged couple and her parents that travel to the French capital. There they have to confront their differing views of a perfect life. Starring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates, this Spanish and American co production was released in 2011 and has won some important awards so far.

I have to say I had had some very good reviews from this movie before I saw it, and that those where the ones that encouraged me to watch it. I didn't really feel compelled to see it as I don't like Owen Wilson, and I'm not that drawn to Paris or the Vanguards. Another fact is that I've watched it because it was in the wikipedia list of time-travel movies and I'm checking those up. 

Now, as I said I don't like Owen Wilson, and I usually don't watch his movies, but this is some really amazing work he does here. He's perfect, and I don't mean only the acting - which is flawless - but all him. His face is so expressive and it expresses so good the astonishment and naivety of the character, that you can only like him. 

The story is nice and it pictures the anxieties that a lot- if not all - of us go through in relation with the past. Woody Allen underlines this by putting the main character through a somewhat horrible present.  The past is full of his idols whereas the present is full of uncertainty and boredom and threats. His main 'enemies' are his girlfriends parents - specially her father, John, played by Kurt Fuller - and an old friend which is a real pest called Paul, played by a very convincing Michael Sheen. Both are brilliant and absolutely detestable and one really feels the urge to punch this pedantic Paul guy in the face - if it weren't for the fact that Michael Sheen is also Lucian in Underworld, whom I absolutely love... 

Back to our movie: 

The music isn't bad. If you like music from the 20ies. I'm not very fond of it, but it's nice in the whole context of the movie and helps for the setting. 

The impeccable setting changes between  2 Paris: the one in 2010 and the one in the 20ies. I love the light of each Paris and I think that it pictures perfectly the nostalgia Gil - Owen Wilson - feels towards the past. And every setting is so full of detail, I just love it. 

All in all this is a very, very, very good movie. The acting, the music, the setting, the camera action, the simply everything. I highliy recomend it.