Sony Pictures Classics announced today that it is expanding Woody Allen's Midnight In Paris to 1038 screens for the weekend, making it the widest-released film of Allen's career. The comedy has been riding strong buzz and solid word-of-mouth that began with its well-received world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival last month; it has earned more than $16 million domestic so far and is in its fifth week on U.S. screens. Last week, it finished No. 8 at the box office.
http://www.deadline.com/2011/06/sony-cl ... -in-paris/
Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris - National Release
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AndyDursin
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Re: Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris - National Release
Maybe this is the one last solid film I've been waiting for...can't wait to check it out.
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AndyDursin
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Re: Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris - National Release
If you're a Woody devotee Michael I definitely would. It's the best reviewed film of his in a long, long time.
Re: Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris - National Release
Okay- I saw the movie today. I think the reason why this film is being reviewed so well is because it is a light comedy, something he really hasn't done as of late. His more recent films have been "heavy" lately, and his last comedy (WHATEVER WORKS) was offensive and just plain hostile and mean-spirited. It's almost like I'm watching the rantings of a bitter, unhappy person when watching current Woody Allen films (in general). VCB was plain awful and pretentious, MATCH POINT was a bad attempt at remaking CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS (his best film in my opinion), and STRANGER was okay but "heavy".
While Allen deals with some of the same old topics (art, writing, existence, bad relationships), this is not a typical Woody Allen film in that it's positive and upbeat without the weightiness found in his films post-Mia Farrow (generally speaking). The opening scenes are reminiscent of the opening of MANHATTAN as Allen gives Paris the same treatment as Manhattan. The acting is really good; Owen Wilson does a great job (he really had to carry the film and did so superbly) as does the rest of the cast (special props go to Kathy Bates as Gertrude Stein, Adrian Brody as Salvador Dahli, Corey Stoll as Hemmingway, and Marion Cotillard as Adriana). It's a smart film and while I am unfamiliar with the history of Paris in the 20s, Allen succeeds in making it look great and romantic.
The major theme of the film is the over-romanticization of some "golden age" period of time in history where one wishes they could go back and live in said period of time. Most everyone has been inspired by something or someone in the past, and many people romaticize about some personal "golden age", so people can relate to those feelings and therefore relate to the characters on the screen...much more so that any character in VCB, for example.
The film does fall a bit flat at times, and while it didn't make either me or the audience I saw it with laugh a lot, it is Allen's most "positive", light comedy film in a while and I liked that there wasn't a weightiness to it. I don't think it's a masterpiece, but it is a fun film with wonderful visuals and a romantic flavor that a wide range of people can relate to. I'm looking forward to watching it again on DVD when it is available to see if I feel the same way. (B+)
While Allen deals with some of the same old topics (art, writing, existence, bad relationships), this is not a typical Woody Allen film in that it's positive and upbeat without the weightiness found in his films post-Mia Farrow (generally speaking). The opening scenes are reminiscent of the opening of MANHATTAN as Allen gives Paris the same treatment as Manhattan. The acting is really good; Owen Wilson does a great job (he really had to carry the film and did so superbly) as does the rest of the cast (special props go to Kathy Bates as Gertrude Stein, Adrian Brody as Salvador Dahli, Corey Stoll as Hemmingway, and Marion Cotillard as Adriana). It's a smart film and while I am unfamiliar with the history of Paris in the 20s, Allen succeeds in making it look great and romantic.
The major theme of the film is the over-romanticization of some "golden age" period of time in history where one wishes they could go back and live in said period of time. Most everyone has been inspired by something or someone in the past, and many people romaticize about some personal "golden age", so people can relate to those feelings and therefore relate to the characters on the screen...much more so that any character in VCB, for example.
The film does fall a bit flat at times, and while it didn't make either me or the audience I saw it with laugh a lot, it is Allen's most "positive", light comedy film in a while and I liked that there wasn't a weightiness to it. I don't think it's a masterpiece, but it is a fun film with wonderful visuals and a romantic flavor that a wide range of people can relate to. I'm looking forward to watching it again on DVD when it is available to see if I feel the same way. (B+)