I saw a movie I absolutely loved: Midnight in Paris, written and directed by Woody Allen.
Owen Wilson plays a screenwriter who is working on a novel. He's visiting Paris with his fiancee. He discovers that each night at midnight, a car will come around to pick him up and he'll be in the world of the expats of the 1920s.
He drinks with Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald and visits Gertrude Stein's apartment while she's having an argument with Picasso about a painting. The guy who plays Hemingway is hilarious, talking the same way he wrote and shouting out requests to fight someone when he isn't going on and on about war and bravery.
If you aren't aware of that literary world of the 20s, this might not be the movie for you. But if you are interested in any of the expats or open to learning about them, I think you'll enjoy this movie. Owen Wilson is so good and the awkwardness of dealing with the fiancee's family, who don't appreciate Paris, is quite amusing.
Infinities of love,
Janie Junebug
Thank you again to Maggie for being yesterday's guest postess. Maggie, we hope you recover quickly. As I already mentioned, please vote in my poll that's to the right of this post. I want to know what you think I should write next. I provide three possibilities.
Maxwell from Misanthropy Chronicles will be our guest next Thursday.
Thanks for featuring me yesterday! I am out around blogland for a bit today (still not much better) but thank you for the well wishes. The thing I didn't like about Midnight at Paris was how bratty the fiance was and how she didn't get in trouble for being nasty and cheating.
ReplyDeleteit's the sort of movie that you'd just like or dislike.
ReplyDelete:)
I'm glad you enjoyed it, but I'm not a Woody Allen afficionado.
ReplyDeleteThis, to me, is one of the funniest thing Woody Allen has ever written. I have to admit I love this:
ReplyDelete“In my next life I want to live my life backwards. You start out dead and get that out of the way. Then you wake up in an old people's home feeling better every day. You get kicked out for being too healthy, go collect your pension, and then when you start work, you get a gold watch and a party on your first day. You work for 40 years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement. You party, drink alcohol, and are generally promiscuous, then you are ready for high school. You then go to primary school, you become a kid, you play. You have no responsibilities, you become a baby until you are born. And then you spend your last 9 months floating in luxurious spa-like conditions with central heating and room service on tap, larger quarters every day and then Voila! You finish off as an orgasm!”
― Woody Allen
Princess, To me, she is punished because she doesn't get to enjoy everything amazing Paris has to offer and she's not staying there. She's going home with her boring, stupid parents.
ReplyDeleteJaya, I think you're right.
fishducky, He's not in it, but you can definitely tell it's a Woody Allen film.
fishducky, That's hilarious and reminds me a bit of the Scott Fitzgerald short story on which the movie Benjamin Button is based. I can't remember if that's the entire title of the movie.
ReplyDeleteDear Janie,
ReplyDeleteI've never seen a Woody Allen movie. Hard to believe isn't it? But this one sounds like one I would truly enjoy. The one to start with and if it speaks to me as it does to you, I'd look at all the rests of his films. Thanks for suggesting it! Have a great weekend.
Peace.
Dee, Have you not seen his films by design or by happenstance? Some people avoid him like the plague, while others see everything he does. I think I loved Midnight in Paris because I, too, would like to be transported to that time and meet those people. And it's not done in a stupid, schlocky way. It's so intelligent and well written. I think Manhattan is my favorite Woody Allen movie because it's so beautifully made, a love song to New York. Annie Hall is fun and sad and hilarious. Radio Days, Purple Rose of Cairo, Stardust Memories . . . I don't like all his movies, but at the moment I can't think of which ones I don't care for. My son loves his movies, too, and owns a number of them. Some are just silly fun and some are transcendent.
ReplyDeleteI've seen it, great film.
ReplyDeleteI CANNOT WAIT to read Maxwells post.
I have also finished mine, going to email you right now :)
I stayed up late, late one night watching this and fell in love with the story line. But I AM a Woody Allan fan and a huge fan of the genre of authors in the film. It was another wonderful quirky film and one for the ages...
ReplyDeleteI'm downloading it right now; legally, of course. :P
ReplyDeleteJane, I'm glad you like the movie. I think Maxwell's post might surprise you a bit. I think it's great, but so is yours, of course.
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