Midnight in Paris (2011)
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The story
In 2010, disillusioned screenwriter Gil Pender and his fiancée, Inez, vacation in Paris. Gil, struggling to finish his debut novel, finds himself drawn to the artistic history of the city, particularly the Lost Generation of the 1920s. While Inez dismisses his ambitions, Gil's life takes a surreal turn. Every night at midnight, he is transported back in time to the 1920s, where he encounters legendary figures of the past. These mystical encounters force him to confront his personal failings and the diverging goals of his relationship with Inez as he navigates the magical reality of a bygone era.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
While vacationing in Paris in 2010, writer Gil Pender becomes obsessed with the 1920s 'Lost Generation.' Every night at midnight, he is magically transported to the past, where he meets and interacts with figures like Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and Salvador Dalí. He also meets Adriana, a costume designer who shares his love for the past. Meanwhile, his fiancée Inez grows frustrated with his disappearances. Gil eventually discovers through a diary that Adriana was in love with him in the past. After a series of adventures, including a trip to the Belle Époque, Gil realizes that chasing nostalgia is futile. He returns to the present, confronts Inez about her affair with a friend, breaks up with her, and decides to stay in Paris, where he eventually finds a connection with a local woman named Gabrielle.
- First release year
- 2011
- Runtime (minutes)
- 94
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Woody Allen
- Writers
- Woody Allen · writer
- Cast and characters
- Owen Wilson · Gil Pender; Rachel McAdams · Inez; Kathy Bates; Adrien Brody; Carla Bruni; Marion Cotillard · Adriana; Michael Sheen
- Genres
- fantasy comedy; romance
- Themes
- nostalgia; time travel; artistic legacy
- Tone and mood
- whimsical; romantic
- Premise and plot tags
- magical realism; period piece
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim and was praised for its whimsical atmosphere and performances, though some critics found it to be light or self-plagiarizing.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 93% · scale: percentage · review count: 224; Metacritic · score: 81 · scale: 100 · review count: 40; Allocine · score: 4.2 · scale: 5
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Original Screenplay · 2012 · win; Golden Globe Award · Best Screenplay · 2012 · win; Academy Award · Best Picture · 2012 · nomination; Academy Award · Best Director · 2012 · nomination; Academy Award · Best Art Direction · 2012 · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film's poster is a reference to Vincent van Gogh's 1889 painting The Starry Night.; The film was the first Woody Allen film shot entirely on location in Paris.; The film's title was used as the basis for the screenplay's construction.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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