MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (2011) is Woody Allen’s latest magnum opus which held its world premier at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and has met with critical praise since, proving to be Allen’s most watched and beloved film since the past twenty-five years. The film screened to an all new audience this week in Skopje, Macedonia at the 10th annual 'CINEDAYS' event, where 70 films from around the world screened in 10 days from November 10-20. 

Imagine the legendary tales of CINDERELLA, A MOVEABLE FEAST, THE SUN ALSO RISES and the film THE PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO (1985) all stewed together to make a new stellar film, familiar yet completely original set within the ever twinkling romantic City of Lights.

The movie begins with a lengthy introduction of 1920’s Jazz music playing to still shots of ‘gay Paree’ – night, day, in the sun and in the rain- just enough mood setting to make sure you are IN PARIS by the time the opening credits end and the movie begins. Then the screen fades to black and we hear Gil (played superbly by Owen Wilson) telling his fiancée Inez of his long unfulfilled dream to live as a writer in Paris. He’s a successful Hollywood screenwriter punching out what sells, which lets face it, usually means what ‘sells out’.

During their trip to Paris, Gil starts fantasizing about giving up his financially fruitful Hollywood career to move to Paris and write the all-American novel. After all, a writer of any medium is never considered a ‘real writer’ until he/she has written and published a novel. Thus, Gil the writer’s unfulfilled dream balloons itself under the magical spell that is Paris until his repressed desire becomes impossible to ignore and he obsesses over turning fantasy into reality...

...REVIEW CONTINUED HERE: http://www.fest21.com/en/blog/vanessa_mcmahon/midnight_in_paris_a_laud_review

-written by Vanessa McMahon