Contributed by Donna Marie

When Midnight in Paris first premiered I knew I wanted to see it … I’ve got a thing for Woody Allen and I’ve always enjoyed his take on human nature.  When a close friend saw it and shared her lacklustre reviews I was a bit taken aback but consoled myself with this perspective … Paris is a city I absolutely adore so, if all else failed I expected to enjoy it visually. 

To my pleasant surprise, Midnight in Paris did not disappoint. In fact, this latest Woody Allen film is (in my opinion) his best work in a long time. Maybe it was his homage to Paris which is one of my favorite cities on the planet and its significant role in the film. He captured my impressions of that city to a “t”  down to my feelings about rain in Paris to the reflection of the Tower Eiffel to Notre Dame to beauty of walks along the Seine to the side streets, each with their own particular beauty.  Maybe it was the absolutely clever way in which Allen depicted the various eras by bringing Hemingway, Dahli, Josephine Baker, Gertrude Stein, Picasso to life through the magnificent portrayals actors the likes of Kathy Bates, Adrian Brody and the sensibilities of the main protagonist, a 21st Century traveler played to surprising perfection by Owen Wilson.  Most of all, the message of presence–making the most of where we are–and being true to ourselves are powerfully well-depicted.

Allen’s clever wit, celebration of infamous artists and writers and a context of life we can all relate to (in terms of viewing the past through rose-colored glasses) are clearly on display in Midnight in Paris.

Be sure to catch it at a theater near you or when it’s out on DVD; and, if you want to know what Roger Ebert has to say about it, check out his review here.