【電影簡介】

吉爾（歐文·威爾遜飾）是位在好萊塢小有名氣的電影編劇，他希望在巴黎這座仿若“流動的盛宴”的城市中完成自己的第一部小說。而只是抱著觀光心態(tài)來巴黎購買結(jié)婚家具的未婚妻伊內(nèi)茲（瑞秋·麥克亞當(dāng)斯飾）極其父母非常反對，不歡而散中，吉爾獨自漫步巴黎。

此時適時到來的一輛馬車，將他帶入一場他自己都不敢想象的名流派對，在派對中，不僅與海明威（寇瑞·斯托爾飾），菲茨杰拉德夫婦，達利（阿德里安·布洛迪飾），布努埃爾等人暢聊，更與畢加索情人阿德里亞娜（瑪麗昂·歌迪亞飾）共生情愫，在一次次的穿越中，他越來越沉醉在巴黎這座城市中。

【音頻文本】

William Faulkner once wrote: "The past is never dead; it is not even past."

Perhaps the American writer was suggesting that we humans can never break away from the past and are forever bound to look back to a certain Golden Time. This almost universal sentiment for nostalgia constitutes the main theme of Woody Allen's new film "Midnight in Paris."

A screenwriter named Gil is spending his vacation in Paris with his fiancé and her wealthy parents. Despite a successful Hollywood career, Gil always dreams about becoming a "real" writer. One day as he strolls along the streets of Paris at midnight, he is ushered into a vintage car, which takes him back to the Parisof the 1920s—the Golden Time that he loves.

Every night from then on, he travels back in time to meet famous expat artists, including Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, the Fitzgeralds, as well as Pablo Picasso and his mistress with whom he develops an intimate relationship.

The first notable element of this film is its spectacular visuals which appear to have undergone intense editing. The first three minutes is practically a showcase of the city's famous attractions. Even though you'll naturally question the beautifully picturesque scenes, you still can't help being dazzled. The kind of stunning visuals continue throughout the film, giving it the appearance of an outlandish fantasy.

Next is the abundance of famous figures and quotes. An adequate amount would have added a certain artisticglamour to the film. But I have to say Allen went too far with this one. The careless and ceaseless popping up of names, figures and quotes goes on and on. For moviegoers who aren't that well-equipped artistically, they would have missed out on quite a considerable amount of fun.

But I don't blame Allen for the overdose. He is just like the protagonist Gil in the film— ill at ease with his fiancé and her wealthy parents who could never appreciate his literary aspirations, while with his literary friends, he is humble and modest. Allen's fondness for passion is genuine, yet he hasn't figured out the best way to tap his potential. Thanks to Owen Wilson's vivid portrayal of Gil, Allen's minor mistake is perfectly redeemed.

Finally, Allen addresses the question of nostalgia, arguing that since every generation longs for the goodold times, perhaps we are living in a Golden Time in the present after all, and perhaps nostalgia is just an unnecessary sentiment. Instead of looking back, Allen has his protagonist return to reality and work for his own Golden Time.

Woody Allen's ingenuity is found in his ability to combine dazzling visual effects, an overdose of artistic and literary elements, and his own philosophical thinking to make a successful film. On a scale from oneto ten, I give this one a seven.

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