One of the nicest surprises of May has been Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris.” Already a critic’s favorite, the Cannes Film Festival opening night dramedy isn’t at the level of Allen’s most recent classics, “Vicky Christina Barcelona” and “Match Point,” but it’s clearly right behind them and is far superior to the disappointing “Scoop,” “Whatever Works” and last year’s frustrating “You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger.” And with a Metacritic rating of 82 out of 100 and a stellar Rotten Tomatoes score of 91%, don’t be surprised if Allen and “Midnight” become part of the awards season mix this fall. That campaign also will have some financial incentive as “Paris” is primed to be one of Allen’s biggest hits of the 21st Century.
“Paris” also features a plot twist that has purposely not be included in the film’s previews and makes the movie more entertaining than the initial premise of an American writer looking for inspiration on the dark streets of the City of Lights might seem. That secret won’t be revealed here, but when speaking to two of the film’s stars last week, Rachel McAdams and Michael Sheen, it was clear both of them had been kept in the dark to some degree about those surprise sequences in the movie as well. And considering those scenes feature prominent co-stars Tom Hiddleston, Marion Cotillard, Adrien Brody, Kathy Bates and Alison Pill, kudos to Mr. Allen for keeping his secret under lock and key to only those who had to know. To say that’s hard to do in either the studio or indie world these days is an understatement.
Both Sheen and McAdams were very enthusiastic about their new endeavor and, at the time, quite excited about heading to Cannes for the premiere (you can check them out on the red carpet here). They also chime on their experiences with Allen and how the famously 9-5 filmmaker was more than fine with the picture’s many night shoots. You can find their thoughts in the video embedded in this post. It’s well worth watching.
“Midnight in Paris” is now playing in limited release and will expand across the country over the next few weeks. If you’re looking for a summer blockbuster break, don’t miss it.