Just watched Midnight in Paris....again.

Sorry, its a finger nails down a black board film for me. Do understand a lot love it though

I love that movie.

I just finished watching " Call My Agent" and it totally took me back to Paris. Highly recommend it.

Sorry. Never heard of it! Had to Google it.

When the film was released I had just moved back from France. It made my eyes well up. I miss France every day that I am not there.

❤️ Midnight in Paris! We watched it again last weekend and agree the first few minutes are priceless. We rescheduled this year’s trip to 2022. I’m trying to negotiate leaving a few days early so I can spend my birthday in Paris!

I have no idea how many times we have watched Midnight In Paris and it always makes me want to go again with those great opening scenes. Last time we were in Paris I decided to have my wife get a picture of me sitting like Gil on the steps of St.-Ettienne-du -Mont. When we got there, we had to wait a few minutes for another couple to do the same thing. Sadly, no 1928 Peugeot came by. I guess we were just early. Since it's only a 10 minute walk from the hotel we like to stay at, I think I'll give it another go next time.

I have to agree with Caro. I just don't see the attraction of this movie other than the Paris location scenes, which I don't think are any better than any other movie shot in Paris. Sometimes I find it hard to enjoy a movie if I can't get past the fact that I strongly dislike the main actor, and Owen Wilson falls into that category for me. I'll have to watch the opening scenes again because I don't remember which locations they were in.

I love those opening scenes, too, and the music definitely helps set that longing to be back again! I’ve always had wonderful weather when I’ve been there, except for one morning when it was a blustery light rain during a morning. As I stepped out with my umbrella, it reminded me of this movie saying how rain made Paris special!

I just can't enjoy anything written by, directed by, or starring Woody Allen any more.

I too love this movie and have seen it many times.
I agree that some Woody Allen films are irritating, but I do love this one.
The music is just wonderful, and I play Sidney Bechet music occasionally at home to remind me a bit of Paris and this movie.
The other movie set in Paris that I just find fascinating is "Amelie"....same thing with the great music.

Yes, love the first minutes of this iconic film & beyond. I have watched the 2011 fantasy comedy-drama numerous times and always enjoy the experiences of the era. It captures the artistic and and literary characters of the 1920's. Brilliant film. Like others mentioned it brings back memories of lovely Paris.

https://www.parisperfect.com/blog/2011/10/midnight-in-paris/

Edited to add: For those who are fans of the movie, the following review was written when Midnight in Paris was released in 2011. I agree with the review. After recently watching the Hemingway series, it reminded me of how funny he was portrayed in the movie.

https://nymag.com/movies/reviews/midnight-in-paris-edelstein-review-2011-5/

I love this movie!! So well done on every level. And Owen Wilson is great in it.

Put me and SO in the love it category. We were just talking about it again because of the Hemingway doc. We both find it witty and just plain fun. Gorgeous scenery.

I neither love or hate it. It was my 2nd time seeing it. Last time was many moons ago. Please let me know what other films or shows are good for a Paris fix...... I’m missing it so much.

Bobby, agree with everything you said!

Woody Allen is creepy and I don't care for Owen Wilson but I love this movie and the cast of characters from the "lost generation" of the 20's in Paris.
Ufkak, curious what you think is the American psyche that you find so deplorable? You didn't state anything specific so was just wondering. I'm not trying to start anything, just really curious.

I love the movie too, and since I don't want to give Woody Allen a penny of my money I frequently just check it out of the library. In fact, I picked it up yesterday.
Thank goodness he was too old to play the lead himself!
I don't like Owen Wilson in any other movie that I've seen, but I think he is perfect in this one.
I think everyone was perfectly cast, and usually hilarious.
It's a film that makes me happy but also sad to not be in Paris.
I love the visuals of Paris, the music, and also the theme of appreciating being in one's own time.

Part of the charm of Midnight in Paris is meeting so many people we have read about -- Alice B Toklas, Picasso, Hemingway, Gertrude Stein -- and I liked the conceit that those in Gil's beloved time, wanted to move back to the Belle Epoch. Near the end of this photo journal entry is our visit to the steps where the car picked Gil up to travel back in time -- https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2013/12/17/interesting-paris-churches-off-the-beaten-track/
We just watched French Toast, a film that someone else here I think recommended -- and while the plot if Hallmark Movie level, the scenes of Paris are wonderfully shot.

Say what you want about Woody Allen or the corniness of the movie, but those first three minutes and fourteen seconds is amazingly well shot video/film of some very pretty Parisian scenes. I have that video as a loop on my phone for when I need to verify an audio and video signal in a performance/projection venue at work.

I neither love or hate it. It was my 2nd time seeing it. Last time was many moons ago. Please let me know what other films or shows are good for a Paris fix...... I’m missing it so much.

Photobearsam: try the film "Amelie", which takes place in Paris.
It's very quirky, but quite mesmerizing if you watch it a couple of times.
The light is the thing to look out for... and the music.
I hope you like it!

Ufkak, curious what you think is the American psyche that you find so
deplorable? You didn't state anything specific so was just wondering.

I don't want to speak for Ufkak but, speaking for myself.... those wealthy, stuffy, entitled parents were insufferable (and the daughter too, of course). That's why they never quite "clicked" with Paris on anything other than a superficial level, and all the "magic" went right over their heads. Woody Allen does a great job poking fun at their dialogue during dinner and when they come into the daughter's room with their matching white, monogrammed robes. Altogether, an obnoxious family you wouldn't want to hang out with for even 5 minutes. Normally I'm not a fan of Owen Wilson but he was perfectly cast in this film. Glad he was able to get away from Inez and start a new life...

Agnes -- I have met so many tourists and Americans here as well who are just like those parents. Years ago at a block party in Nashville where we lived at the time, we mentioned we were about to head for Paris and this couple whined about how awful it all was -- so rude, so dirty, so dangerous -- I said that it wasn't our experience at all and that we felt much safer there than here -- turned out they had been on some sort of tour and apparently just complained to others on the bus about how rude and awful everything was.

The couple in Midnight were wealthier and so had a high end well arranged trip also designed to avoid actual experiences of the local culture. I did enjoy the visit to Versailles with the then first lady of France. And the pompous professor is such a true type -- I have known many and worked with many people, usually men, just like this -- preening pompous twits.

There are lots of films where you get to see a lot of Paris. Amelie, Alice in Paris, Lost in Paris , Breathless, Before Sunrise

I have met so many tourists and Americans here as well who are just
like those parents

That's why that movie "works" by poking fun at their ridiculousness and pomposity, and self-righteousness.

Loving this discussion so much. Going to look up the movies you all suggest.

Sometimes I find it hard to enjoy a movie if I can't get past the fact that I strongly dislike the main actor, and Owen Wilson falls into that category for me.

I really enjoyed the movie, but I do agree with you about Owen Wilson here.

those wealthy, stuffy, entitled parents were insufferable (and the daughter too, of course).

Of course they were. But that doesn't support what Ufkak said.

Don't forget French Kiss and A Good Year.

I also rewatched Midnight in Paris recently, I found it annoying. Woody's schtick has not worn well over the years and in this case, he just had Owen Wilson playing him which made Owen seem annoying. The inlaws were supposed to be pompous bores and they sure were. The only thing I give Woody credit for is his take on F Scott and that whole gang, they might actually have been close to how he envisioned them.

Of course they were. But that doesn't support what Ufkak said.

To me it does since they fall into the "Ugly American" category. There are many buckets of Ugly Americans - entitled and superior-minded is one, loud and boorish is another, you get the drift....yes, all stereotypes, but still recognizable ones.

This cracked me up so much...the pretentiousness...LOL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH7nbMU5OpM

I thought it was at Versailles (Bruni) but I might have mis-remembered.

I don't remember a lot of Paris in French Kiss -- but again may be mis-remembering. Always love Kevin Klein even as a French guy and was obsessed with Meg Ryan's shirt -- she wore a white cami and a crisp white shirt through days of sleeping on trains, having food poisoning, running hither and yon, getting a whole bowl of chocolate mousse dumped on her -- and yet the white crisp shirt was perfectly crisp and white in every scene and the white cami was sparkling after the chocolate mousse was swished off in a sink. This is the greatest travel shirt ever made and I long for it.

I also quite enjoyed the quirky humour in the Woody Allen movie about Rome. I think Leopoldo Pisanello was my favourite character and the concept of an opera singer who can only perform when he's in the shower was very entertaining.

Janettravels44. Just finished French Toast. Great scenery but like you said, hallmark movie quality. Thanks for the suggestion.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Lupin" especially for the scenery. Made me start to imagine ways of being a stowaway on the next flight to Paris! (Hahaha!)

The funniest thing in the link provided by Agnes are the paintings themselves. The film is average at best, if you stretch the word average, but still better than the film he made in Italy. Amélie is miles better than both. Allen has a dabbler's stroke when it comes to fantasy and whimsical romance. He should study with the masters, such as or Guillermo del Toro or Mackenzie Crook

Add me to the "yes" column. I loathe Woody Allen and usually can't stand Owen Wilson but I LOVE this film.

And yes, I've photographed the street from those steps at Saint-Etienne-du-Mont before I went in to pay my respects to the relic of St Genevieve...or not St Genevieve ... and to see the very cool rood screen in there. I did an excellent Paris Walks of this area, I'm pretty sure it was the Hemingway one.

I just binged watched Emily In Paris, not fir the characters or the storyline but to see the sights of Paris.

Priceless comment from Ufkak - so accurately sums up why it's such a bad movie, along with pretty much most of what Woody cranked out (even prior to the pedo label and other sordid stories attached to him).

If you are looking to enjoy street scenes from Paris (and a nice look at Chateau Vaux le Vicomte just outside of Paris), try Diane Lane's very first film (made in 1979 with Laurence Olivier) "A Little Romance" (bonus, you get some equally great shots of Venice and Verona when they film part of the movie in Italy).

Highly recommend you also search on YouTube for Jay Swanson, an American vlogger living in Paris the last 4-5 years and click on his "Playlist" tab. Jay created several series of videos where he explores various arrondissements ("20 in 20") as well as specific sections of arrondissements ("80 in 8") as well as some great content in his "Silent City Series" (the one he did entitled "Montmartre Without Tourists" and a few of the others filmed during the lockdown are interesting to see the streets and the outdoor markets without the typical crowds of people). It's also worth scanning his Vlog A Day seasons for content on subjects that interest you - you can see everything from his walk through the Catacombs to visits to the Rodin Museum, Musee d'Orsay and The Louvre without Tourists - and he sometimes films outside of the city when he travels to places like Rouen, Reims or the lavender fields in Provence.

Totally agree with you Ceidleh: I've been following Jay for a couple of years now.
Well worth subscribing to.

What a movie! I'd never heard of it, but thank you for posting about it. We watched last night only expecting to enjoy it for the sites, but thought it was very clever.

ceidleh OMG I love watching Jay Swanson’s videos. Such a great take on ACTUALLY LIVING in Paris. I never miss any of his uploads.

For some fantastic views of Paris, I recommend Paris, je t'aime. I've recommended it before on this forum. It consists of 18 short films, all by different directors, each shot in a different arrondissement. The directors are some of the best around, from all the continents except Antarctica, and the performers are also a renowned international cast. It's 2 hours long, and you can watch it for free on YouTube. It's also on various other streaming services.

I typically avoid Woody Allen movies and I find many of them annoying...but my husband and I LOVE "Midnight in Paris." It's our favorite movie and I've lost count of how many times we've watched it. I notice new details each time we watch, and each character is so well-written and nuanced.

We actually went to the Polidor for dinner while in Paris. It was fairly average bistro food, but still fun to be there. It did not look quite the same as in the movie due to a recent half-wall being built between the dining area and the bar.

Also highly recommend "Amelie", as other did. The music and cinematography are exceptional.

I love, love, love Midnight in Paris! Sometimes I just watch the first minutes to be transported back to Paris. I agree that Lupin and Call My Agent are also great shows to help get your Paris fix.

May I also add Le Divorce for your Paris fix. And if you want to go way back, Until September. Yes, a bit Hallmarky of the boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl, repeat, genre. Karen Allen as "Mo" is much more likeable than the vapid "Emily".

"Before Sunset" The whole movie is set in the beautiful streets of Paris.

Karen Allen: IMDB is stuck right now, but Karen Allen is in what movie?
Until September

I’m loving this so much.

The second time I was lucky enough to visit Paris, a Parisian gentleman told me there is an old belief.
If you are in Paris and it rains while you are there, you will return. Both times I was there, it rained.
Not a huge Owen Wilson fan, yet he was really believable as a U.S. Naval Aviator (I am a former Marine
Corps officer) and in this movie. Don't much care for his other movies.
Can't help but like the opening scenes. Looking forward so much to returning to Paris. I have been intensively
reviewing my French, and learning lots of new words, phrases, and even some recipes!

Binge-watching Emily in Paris, sort of a cross between Sex and the City and Younger. The scenery is amazing! Also watched French Toast. The story was a little confusing but again, beautiful scenery. I really miss Paris ❤️

How about Chocolat and A Good Year?

Estimated Prophet: I felt the same way about Woody Allen until I saw Midnight in Paris. I still feel the same way about every other Woody Allen affiliated film. I just had to make an exception for this one. Like many other posters I miss France all the time.