Woody Allen is one of these people who, just when I’ve forgotten about him, I realize that he has somehow released several new films without my having noticed. I had been hearing good things about Midnight in Paris from a number of people, and decided I might as well go see it. It falls into the vein of his work that I would describe as “delightful, and without him in it,” though only moderately so. The story is fun enough, but unfortunately the only people who seem to be able to act are the two female leads, although with one (the wife) you have to kind of wonder if she’s acting at all or if she’s really just that unlikable of a human being—that seems plausible enough.
But really, you can’t help but think how much better it would have been if only it had been made a decade ago, with an entirely different cast. In spite of this, it was entertaining enough, though it certainly does seem like Allen was just dialing it in. There’s something to be said though that what feels like Woody Allen by numbers still feels many times more entertaining than most of the other drivel that’s out…
The Tree of Life continues to fascinate me. I’ve seen it three times now, the third time bringing along a friend. I was, in all honesty, expecting this friend to hate it. However, after it was over, I looked at her and said “well…” trailing off. She made a face and said “I thought it was great.” We then spent the next half hour wandering around Hollywood on a warm night talking about how the film brought back powerful memories from childhood; not of specific events, but of just how it felt to be a child. With each viewing, the ending became more intolerable, but otherwise the film seems to get stronger and more interesting. It’s clear from all the arguments and conversations I’ve been in about the film, and that I’ve overheard of friends and strangers, that it’s making a big impression on most people who’ve seen it, and rightfully so.