MovieChat Forums > Midnight in Paris (2011) Discussion > Hard to believe this movie is from the w...

Hard to believe this movie is from the writer of The Kugelmass Episode


We borrowed the DVD of Paris at Midnight from the library. My hubby thought it was such schmaltz he left the room about 15 minutes after the start of the film (he thought the first 3 minutes of shots of Paris were an art's students presentation that went on for way too long). I didn't think much of it either- I would have loved it when I was studying for my BA in English. It's a film for sophomores studying English. The actors playing the famous writers, painters, and surrealists were nice to look at though.Hemingway was much too repititive.Paris is a wonderful city but I never thought of it as the most romantic city in the world or the best place for writers and artists to live. I didn't think Allen did anything interesting with the premise. I loved the idea of Zelda Fitzgerald taking a valium. But the present didn't corrupt the past. None of the characters came to visit the present either. Hard to believe this movie is from the same man who wrote "The Kugelmass Episode". It was great when Emma Bovery went shopping in the New York of the 1980s. What would Scott Fitzgerald, Zelda, Hemingway and Dali think of 2015? Well, Gertrude Stein would be thrilled to bits by the recent Supreme Court ruling.

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So what you're basically saying is because the film isn't what you expected and presented places and people in ways you don't agree with, that makes the film bad?



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I can't agree. Sure, it's not a cryptic or especially clever film, but it's not schmaltzy either - I think it makes some excellent points and does so with great humour.

Besides, you either love Paris or you don't - I'm not surprised you don't appreciate this film if you don't feel the inherent romance and lure of the place. Personally I have just come back from my fifth trip there, and I agree with Gil myself - I would move there in a heartbeat if I could afford it.

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You just can't please some people. It is a joyous and sparkling movie that I watch whenever I'm homesick for Paris. And the music, and Bechet, are magnificent.

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I've never been to Paris, so I really enjoyed the "the first 3 minutes of shots of Paris". 3 minutes wasn't "way too long" for me. Allen's done the same thing in a couple of his New York movies, which I've also enjoyed.

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The cinematography was pretty average though. You might as well watch Steve Ricks on Youtube.

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