While on vacation in Paris with his fiancée (Rachel McAdams), a struggling novelist (Owen Wilson) named Gil starts to re-evaluate his life. Feeling trapped by his abrasive fiancée and unfulfilling work as a screenwriter, he wants to write a novel that delves into his favorite hobby: the past.
Owen Wilson Plays a Writer Transported Back in Time
During his solitary late-night walks through the city, Gil magically becomes transported back in time to the early 1900s. He drinks, dines, parties, and converses with literary giants including, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Zelda Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, T.S. Eliot, and Gertrude Stein, plus artists including Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Henri Matisse, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Gauguin, and Edgar Degas. There are also the musical greats Josephine Baker and Cole Porter. Surrounded by such creativity and romance, Gil falls in love with Paris and decides a major lifestyle change is in order.
Providing stark contrast to his fantastical and inspirational nightlife are Gil’s dreary daytime interactions with his fiancée, her friends, and her family. As he attempts to escape into the past, he finds the past also wants to escape into its own past. These (and other) whimsical observations and amusing parallels help give Midnight in Paris its distinctive charm. This movie is billed as a romantic comedy fantasy, but it’s also a poetic ode to the endless yearning of the creative spirit.
Midnight in Paris DVD Special Features
In addition to a theatrical trailer, the Midnight in Paris DVD offers only one special feature: an approximately 6-minute edited clip from a press conference, titled Midnight in Cannes.
Midnight in Cannes: Woody Allen and several cast members (including Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen, and Adrian Brody) talk about what it was like developing their characters and working as a team. Allen also discusses his unique style of cinematography and the second pairing of Wilson and McAdams (who worked together previously on Wedding Crashers). Because it is tightly edited, the press conference allows viewers to hear only the responses, but not the questions asked. This editing results in no mistakes, no wasted time, and no spontaneity. Although the movie itself is a delight, this special feature isn’t particularly special.
Midnight in Cannes (2011)
- A frustrated writer finds inspiration on the streets of Paris during his midnight strolls.
- Starring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Kathy Bates, Adrien Brody, Kurt Fuller, Mimi Kennedy, Michael Sheen, Nina Arianda, Carla Bruni, Yves Heck, Alison Pill, Corey Stoll
- Director: Woody Allen
- Writer: Woody Allen
- Genre: Romantic Comedy Fantasy
- Run Time: 94 minutes
- Rating: PG-13 (for some sexual references and smoking)
- DVD Release Date: December 20, 2011
- For Additional Information: Visit the official website for Midnight in Paris.
Other Selected Films Of Owen Wilson
- Hall Pass (2011)
- Little Fockers (2010)
- Night at the Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian (2009)
- Drillbit Taylor (2008)
- The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
- Cars (2006)
- Wedding Crashers (2005)
- Starsky & Hutch (2004)
- Shanghai Nights (2003)
- I Spy (2002)
- Zoolander (2001)
- Meet the Parents (2000)
Leslie C. Halpern - Leslie C. Halpern, Romantic Films/Comedies Topic Editor, authored Passionate About Their Work, Reel Romance, & Dreams on Film.
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