"You're in love with a fantasy."

Film: Midnight in Paris
Year: 2011
Writer/Director: Woody Allen
Starring: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Kurt Fuller, Mimi Kennedy, Michael Sheen, Nina Arianda, Carla Bruni, Alison Pill, Corey Stoll, Tom Hiddleston, Kathy Bates, Adrien Brody, Léa Seydoux. 
Running time: 94 min.
NOTE: This probably has spoilers in it. But by now you should have seen the film, really. If you haven't, I suggest you do straight away.

Let's face it: all of us, at one point or another, have wished that we were born in another era. I myself would have loved to have been around during the transition from silent to sound cinema, living in Hollywood. Gil Pender (Owen Wilson), Woody Allen's latest hero, wishes that he was around in 1920's Paris. While he accepts that he could never go there, he seems intent on creating a life for him and his fiancée Inez (Rachel McAdams) similar to his dream, and insists that they should stay in Paris forever, where they're currently on holiday. Gil is in love with this city, and decides to take a stroll at midnight. He is picked up by a 1920's style car, and transported to the world he has dreamed of. Along his journey he meets people like Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston and Alison Pill), Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll) and Salvador Dalí (Adrien Brody), who all help inspire him while he is writing a novel. Gil goes back to this place every night at midnight, and ends up falling in love with Adriana (Marion Cotillard), who wishes that she was around during the La Belle Époque, which she thinks is the Golden Age of Hollywood, as opposed to 1920's Paris.

Match Point

Date: 24/07/10. Average Saturday.

I genuinely dislike Woody Allen. But I just can't keep myself from watching his films. Match Point is pretty much on the same level as Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Whatever Works for me. I didn't really like either of them. I don't think I get what message Woody Allen is trying to get across, because his 'romantic comedies' suck more than the normal ones do.

A tennis player, Chris Wilton (Johnathan Rhys-Meyers) is at a turning point in his life. He marries a rich young woman, Chloe (Emily Mortimer), but he falls for a glamourous young American woman, Nola (Scarlett Johansson). Problem is, she is going out with his best friend and brother-in-law Tom (Matthew Goode).

People seem to like this the most out of all of Allen's recent works, but I can't really see why. And I know somebody will want to shoot me when I say this, but this movie was extremely stereotypical, totally miscast and stupid. The ending was really stupid. But you know, some of you are into that stuff and I don't hate you for that. Johnathan Rhys-Meyers was less than impressive in the lead role, though he was a good choice for the role. He just didn't deliver as was expected of him, and the role should have been passed on to someone who could have deliviered the goods. Johansson was, well, just the same in this movie, but proved to be quite good as the sort of femme fatale. Unfortunately, I didn't care much for her character. Emily Mortimer was average, but her character turned into a bit of a stereotypical clingy and horrible wife.

All in all, I didn't really get the point of Match Point, or how much tennis had to do with it. Because I thought this was going to be about tennis and romance. But it wasn't.

I don't like Woody Allen. I don't like this movie.

4/10