Midnight in Paris

Photos of graffiti in Guelph 

Rarely do I ever want to watch a movie in theatres (I suffer from slight movie theatre ADHD), but when I heard about 'Midnight in Paris' I knew it was worth a trip to the theatres. I, for one, adore Woody Allen movies strictly for the dialogues & his neurotic view of human relationships (my favourites include Annie Hall, Manhattan, & the Purple Rose of Cairo). The film’s elements embodies all the major themes that I often use as a foundation to examine my own life: Nostalgia of relationships, escapism to a previous era, and romanticism of an idealized past that life is better from times passed and cities unknown. Add the dazzling cinematography of Paris + the classic music of Cole Porter + Woody Allen satire + post-modern art and literary references, and you have yourself a brilliant film. 

Owen Wilson’s character is much like myself; it is evident that he is a fellow purveyor of nostalgia as he struggles to write a book about a nostalgia store. He uses the past as an antidote to fill the void of his current relationship and present life circumstances. He bewilders in the idea of living and loving in the 1920s, the years he believes is analogous to a “golden era”. As his character develops, he realizes that no matter the era we live in, there’s always a time and a place that we long for; a time period and place that we feel better suits ourselves. 

John Lennon says it best, “If The Beatles or the sixties had a message, it was to learn to swim. The people who are hung up on The Beatles and the sixties dream missed the whole point when The Beatles and the sixties dream became the point". Both Allen and Lennon cautions us that we create our idealized world by dreaming of the past. If we are constantly looking back, we will be missing the possibilities of our current time. We can use the past to point our way but it is only through our present can we truly find ourselves. Rather than reminiscing about the dreams of the past, live that dream now. 


Yours,

P. xo.