Midnight in Paris on DVD

I wrote about the Woody Allen film Midnight in Paris when it first came out. Here is an interesting take on the film by Nancy Evans.The DVD will be released on December 20.

The newest Woody Allen film, Midnight in Paris, could turn out to be the most subtle, yet thoughtful, time traveling movie ever made, because it's not really about time travel so much as it's about nostalgia for the past mixed with the textures of France and ruminations about the meaning of art and love. The film centers around Gil, a screenwriter from Hollywood who is hoping to be inspired enough by the city of Paris in order to write his first novel. Gil is having trouble reconciling the magic of the city with the lack of romance he shares with his fiancee Inez, who seems more interested in having mimosas at the Club Méditerranée than she is actually experiencing the breathtaking splendor of the city itself.

One night Gil unwittingly gets into a car with rowdy group of Parisian socialites that he soon realizes are none other than Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. Whether or not he has entered a parallel universe, time traveled, or simply hallucinated, what's happening is not critically important to the film. Viewers are asked to suspend their disbelief and take a ride through Paris of the early 20th century. Gil finds himself enjoying the modern treasures of the French capital in their actual timeframe and dancing the night away with some of the most famous Parisian artists in history, including up close and personal encounters with Salvador Dali, Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso, Josephine Baker, and Man Ray, among many others.

While the plot is certainly wonderful and Owen Wilson adds his usual comic relief, one of the great values in the film is Woody Allen's depiction of France. The film opens with an over three minute long montage of the city that twinkles with atmospheric poetry. It is reminiscent of his early film Manhattan, which opens with a similar montage of New York. The Midnight in Paris opening shows the iconic city during both the night and day, in the rain and in the sunshine, in winter and in summer, showcasing The Palace of Versailles, the John XXIII Square, the Eiffel Tower and other classic landmarks of Paris, France.

Ultimately the film is about accepting the people and places in your life for what they are, and not clinging on too tightly to some fictitious concept of a Golden Age at the expense of appreciating the reality of the present. In the process, viewers get to see the city of Paris depicted as a colorful character that comes alive and speaks to you with a voice full of history and magic.

Click here to pre-order Midnight in Paris from Amazon

Eye Prefer Paris on Twitter

I just launched a fun new daily Twitter post- Paris Photo du Jour. Every day I will post a photo of Paris. Follow me on Twitter - http://twitter.com/eyepreferparis
 

Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 17 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my courtyards, doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Comments

[Cheryl]

That DVD had just better be under my Christmas tree!! The appropriate parties have been notified and you know the saying "If Momma ain't happy...."!

Happy Thanksgiving!

[devis]

I think that it would make an amazing Christmas gift for anyone with taste.

[Pamela]

The movie is a love affair with Paris, the beauties of the city as it is today and the characters' love affairs with their dreams of Paris past, from the 20s to the Belle Epoch and further back. It's also about realising what's really important in your life and valuing it - and then having the confidence to live the life you really want. The vignettes of the colourful identities of the past are wonderful and mostly ring true. It's just one delight after another as the different characters appear.