Midnight in Paris

If it is a truth widely held by film critics that Woody Allen is one the greatest artist's who is now or has ever worked at the Art of filmmaking than proof of his genius can be viewed in any number of brilliant works produced over a long and prolific career.  The cult of Woody reached its peak in the 70's and 80's and while both he and most of his audience has aged the enjoyment that a Woody Allen film provides is timeless. The latest entertainment, Midnight in Paris, has opened to mostly favorable reviews

Midnight in Paris is a gentle piece. The Master attempts no new tricks and his steady direction has given us  another poem of  love between the prosperous and successful set amongst and in glamorous urban locations. It's one annoying oddity is that the mainstay of Wood Allen's films, the beloved neurotic and emotionally crippled male lead,  is played by one of Hollywood's leading men who is consistently voted onto the HOT lists compiled by entertainment magazines.  Owen Wilson's comedic timing has previously been limited to the successful hit comedies aimed at 18 to 40 something males that are the B films of the 21st century but he proves himself up to the challenge.

Owen is a very handsome man,  has superior comedic writing skills and can do a very good bit of acting.
The test of those acting abilities is in credibly delivering the lines written for a character who is a definitive wimp when he is in fact the poster boy for non-wimps.  The lines are written by the far too old to play the 30-40 something character Woody Allen and in fact is a reprise of the character played by Allen in the 70's and 80's.  Owen is Woody's bodydouble and covers it well though it just doesn't ring the right bells. It's not the acting but the writing. We are all prone to fantasy football conceits, mine currently tend towards Jude Law and Christian Bale but this conceit,  the beloved uber-Jew played by a blonde GOY simply puts one off.

 To his credit Owen does a fine job but the viewer can't but help but think of  a previous Allen work in which the character admits to changing the story about the end of a relationship because it was his play and he wanted "his"character to look better.   Owen certainly looks better but even his skills are challenged by delivering lines that are better spoken by a 70 somethings rather than a 40 something.  Woody has a well known personal challenge around age and relationships ( has Mia and Andre ever really forgiven him) but his craft has been no less perfect because of it.  Midnight in Paris is a fine film it just wobbles a bit more than others and left me with the distinct feeling that the Master has slowed down.

I'd love to seen a Midnight in Paris casting of Michael Caine and Maggie Smith as the engaged couple in Paris.  Mia Farrow and Allen Alda could be the best friends.  Christian Bale and Jude Law could be the married kids replace the parents.   Than let Allen have at it.    Wait. who would be the lioness. Taylor Swift.?
It would be a great film.