介绍:
William Faulkner once wrote: "The past is never dead; it is not even past."
Perhaps the American writer was suggesting that we humans can never break away from the past and are forever bound to look back to a certain Golden Time. This almost universal sentiment for nostalgia constitutes the main theme of Woody Allen's new film "Midnight in Paris."
A screenwriter named Gil is spending his vacation in Paris with his fiancé and her wealthy parents. Despite a successful Hollywood career, Gil always dreams about becoming a "real" writer. One day as he strolls along the streets of Paris at midnight, he is ushered into a vintage car, which takes him back to the Paris of the 1920s—the Golden Time that he loves.
Every night from then on, he travels back in time to meet famous expat artists, including Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, the Fitzgeralds, as well as Pablo Picasso and his mistress with whom he develops an intimate relationship.
The first notable element of this film is its spectacular visuals which appear to have undergone intense editing. The first three minutes is practically a showcase of the city's famous attractions. Even though you'll naturally question the beautifully picturesque scenes, you still can't help being dazzled. The kind of stunning visuals continue throughout the film, giving it the appearance of an outlandish fantasy.
Next is the abundance of famous figures and quotes. An adequate amount would have added a certain artistic glamour to the film. But I have to say Allen went too far with this one. The careless and ceaseless popping up of names, figures and quotes goes on and on. For moviegoers who aren't that well-equipped artistically, they would have missed out on quite a considerable amount of fun.
But I don't blame Allen for the overdose. He is just like the protagonist Gil in the film— ill at ease with his fiancé and her wealthy parents who could never appreciate his literary aspirations, while with his literary friends, he is humble and modest. Allen's fondness for passion is genuine, yet he hasn't figured out the best way to tap his potential. Thanks to Owen Wilson's vivid portrayal of Gil, Allen's minor mistake is perfectly redeemed.
Finally, Allen addresses the question of nostalgia, arguing that since every generation longs for the good old times, perhaps we are living in a Golden Time in the present after all, and perhaps nostalgia is just an unnecessary sentiment. Instead of looking back, Allen has his protagonist return to reality and work for his own Golden Time.
Woody Allen's ingenuity is found in his ability to combine dazzling visual effects, an overdose of artistic and literary elements, and his own philosophical thinking to make a successful film. On a scale from one to ten, I give this one a seven.
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