You don't need to be a Francophile to appreciate all that Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris has to offer. The film is immersed in gorgeous French scenery, bathed in the kind of soft lighting that just makes you sigh with a sense of satisfaction. It's easy to see why Gil (Owen Wilson) wants to hunker down in Paris's quaint coffee shops to focus on his novel, an idea that his shallow wife Inez (Rachel McAdams) scoffs at. During a trip to France, the couple embodies the two stereotypical sides of spending time abroad: he's filled with appreciation and seeking inspiration while she's seeing the sights but not really experiencing them.
It's obvious from the start that Gil and Inez are incredibly wrong for each other, but it takes a few separate adventures in Paris to illustrate their fundamental differences. Inez is unabashedly attracted to her former professor, Paul (Michael Sheen), whom she and Gil bump into at a restaurant. When she splits off to go dancing, Gil gets the chance to wander the streets alone — and he gets a lot more than he bargained for when a car comes by to pick him up at midnight.
To see why Midnight in Paris is another hit from Allen (warning: some spoilers ahead), just read more
