OUR RATING SYSTEM
(*****) = do NOT miss! This one is as good as they come.
(****) = Fantastic - It's worth the price of the ticket (and then some).
(***) = Average - Nothing really bad, nothing really spectacular...
(**) = Perhaps you should find another movie to see.
(*) = The bottom of the barrel. It would be hard to find something less entertaining or more unworthy of your time.



Maureen (Mo) holds a PhD in marine geophysics (Dr. Maureen, to you) and works for the U.S. Geological Survey in Santa Cruz, CA. Maureen enjoys the outdoors (skiing, swimming, hiking, camping), dogs, cooking, singing, getting into (and out of) uncomfortable situations, and most importantly, watching quality movies. She makes a point of seeing as many Oscar-nominated films as possible each year and (correctly) predicting the winners. Her role on this blog is primarily as an advisor, collaborator, and "chime in"-er.

John (Jo) holds a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film Studies. He currently lives in Chicago, Illinois and works as a nurse. His one true obsession in life is movies... The good, the bad, and everything in between. Other than that, he is busy caring for his cat, painting, writing, exploring Chicago, and debating on whether or not to worship Tilda Swinton as a deity. John is the master and commander and primary author of this blog.

Friday, December 30, 2011

Midnight In Paris (***)

It would be very easy to rank Woody Allen as one of the most innovative and clever filmmakers. With films like Annie Hall, Bullets Over Broadway, and the genius Hannah and Her Sisters under his belt, it is safe to consider Allen close to genius. However, Midnight In Paris simply pales in comparison to Allen's more rich, detailed scripts with characters that are just shadows of some of his best work. Perhaps with age, Allen is losing much of his gusto, and unfortunately I found the film rather flat.

The plot (if there is one) follows a man named Gil played by Owen Wilson. Visiting Paris with his absurdly-negative fiance and her parents, he finds pleasure in walking the city at night - stumbling into a sort of vortex that leads him to the city in the 1920's where he meets a whole gang of famous artists. And.... that's it. Scene after scene follows this man as he journeys back in time to point out to the audience that 'wow you're the REAL Gauguin?' or 'He looks like Cole Porter.' A basic love story emerges with the ever-radiant Marion Cotillard, but for the most part the film is merely a series of actors portraying historical figures.

What more can be said? The costumes are accurate and the cinematography is surprisingly lush. It is obvious that Mr Wilson is trying extremely hard to fill the stuttering manic shoes of Woody Allen in the lead role, but overall I couldn't help but be taken out of the story. The basic lack of clever writing that Allen is known for is surely missed, and while Midnight In Paris isn't a horrible film, it's not one I would expect to win a slew of awards either.

(Awards potential: Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography)
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