Oscar Watch: "Midnight in Paris"
"Midnight in Paris"
Directed by: Woody Allen
Starring: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Kathy Bates
Nominations: best picture, best director, best art direction, best original screenplay
"Midnight in Paris" is an offbeat, inventive romantic comedy which uses the location of Paris in various time periods to tell a story about living in the present, but yearning for the past. Woody Allen incorporates a whole host of famous figures, from Hemingway to Picasso, to help shape and guide his main character, Gil (Wilson), through his trip to Paris with his wife-to-be Inez (McAdams). The film doesn't make logical sense, as Gil travels at midnight daily to 1920s Paris, but it's something that fits with the quirky nature of the film.
The film was shot beautifully, with the various periods of Paris brought to life. I honestly don't know enough about the famous figures portrayed, but they seemed believable. Inez was an annoying character, and I could tell from the start that his mellow nature didn't fit with her. It took him a fling with a 1920s mistress of Picasso, Adrienne (Cotillard) and some critiques of his novel by Gertrude Stein (Bates) to realize not only that, but that she's having an affair with know-it-all Paul, played well by Michael Sheen.
I liked how atypical and creative the film was. Fans of Paris would probably love this film. I think it's deserving of its nominations on the basis of its creativity; unlike the esoteric "Tree of Life," Allen crafted a film using illogical plot devices that somehow worked for his particular story. My favorite aspect was how he feels that 1920s was Paris's golden age, but Adrienne believes it was decades earlier. We are often unimpressed by the present and in awe of the past; we need to open our eyes to the wonders of the age we live in. I'm glad this film was nominated for the top spots. After having seen all the best picture nominated films, however, "The Artist," far and away takes the top spot for me.
Directed by: Woody Allen
Starring: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Kathy Bates
Nominations: best picture, best director, best art direction, best original screenplay
"Midnight in Paris" is an offbeat, inventive romantic comedy which uses the location of Paris in various time periods to tell a story about living in the present, but yearning for the past. Woody Allen incorporates a whole host of famous figures, from Hemingway to Picasso, to help shape and guide his main character, Gil (Wilson), through his trip to Paris with his wife-to-be Inez (McAdams). The film doesn't make logical sense, as Gil travels at midnight daily to 1920s Paris, but it's something that fits with the quirky nature of the film.
The film was shot beautifully, with the various periods of Paris brought to life. I honestly don't know enough about the famous figures portrayed, but they seemed believable. Inez was an annoying character, and I could tell from the start that his mellow nature didn't fit with her. It took him a fling with a 1920s mistress of Picasso, Adrienne (Cotillard) and some critiques of his novel by Gertrude Stein (Bates) to realize not only that, but that she's having an affair with know-it-all Paul, played well by Michael Sheen.
I liked how atypical and creative the film was. Fans of Paris would probably love this film. I think it's deserving of its nominations on the basis of its creativity; unlike the esoteric "Tree of Life," Allen crafted a film using illogical plot devices that somehow worked for his particular story. My favorite aspect was how he feels that 1920s was Paris's golden age, but Adrienne believes it was decades earlier. We are often unimpressed by the present and in awe of the past; we need to open our eyes to the wonders of the age we live in. I'm glad this film was nominated for the top spots. After having seen all the best picture nominated films, however, "The Artist," far and away takes the top spot for me.
posted by DarthDooku at
9:14 PM
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