Midnight In Paris

Midnight In Paris (2011) is a charming, off-beat, often sentimental film, written and directed by the ever distinctive Woody Allen. Owen Wilson takes on the archetype whimsical goof, and as ever he plays the part with an endearing flourish - the quirky everyman who stumbles his way to self-identification.

I’ll give you a short run-down of the narrative, because from what I’ve seen the plot has been sold poorly. Gil (Owen Wilson) is a screenwriter visiting Paris with his at-best cynical fiancée – played marvellously by Rachel McAdams – who falls in love with the city and on one lone midnight stroll finds himself back in time in the roaring 20s, surrounded by the forefront individuals of the decade’s intellectual revolution – F. Scott Fitzgerald, Picasso, Dali, Ernest Hemmingway, Man Ray, Cole Porter and many more.

F. Scott Fitzgerald and wife, according to MIP

Marion Cotillard shows off her fabulous 20s wardrobe and taxidermy

The look and feel of the film is classy, from its opening moments it dedicates itself to three minutes (yes, I timed it) of artsy establishing shots of Paris. This may not seem mentionable, but for Hollywood  film, whose focus is plot, plot, action, plot, Allen’s creative decision to ask the audience to sit back and admire the city which is crucial to the film, is revealing of the auteur’s quality and attention to detail. The modern day scenes are shot in naturalistic, documentary-connotative lighting, which, juxtaposed with the golden-tinged 1920s aesthetic, furthers the antithesis of present and past.

A film about nostalgia, admiration and idolatry. Woody Allen’s protagonist Gil realises it is in man’s nature to romanticise the past, whether it be within living memory or from across recorded time. But the overriding message of this pleasing little piece appears to be that we must learn from the past, and live in the present. This may be a little abstract – but since I’m revising English, humour me – a quote springs to mind:

“Let every man be master of his time”

William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Macbeth

Queen Film

So ubiquitous in recent years have films concerning Elizabeth Windsor (and her ancestors) become that they seem to have developed a sub-genre of their own. And with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee popping up left, right and centre, it's a good time to address this quaint nationalistic British past time.

The Queen (Frears, 2006)

Helen Mirren performed this interpretation of the Queen following the death of the Princess of Wales. The film focuses on the struggle between public and private relations which monarchy faced after the tragic death of the popular public figure. I like how this film is very British - understated, quiet whilst dealing with big public issues. It was highly successful, collecting a number of awards, including an Oscar, and Michael Sheen's impersonation of Tony Blair was considered inspired.






The King's Speech

The unassuming Prince Bertie, Elizabeth's father, became King unexpectedly when his brother ran away with that yank. Colin Firth was a deserving winner in many respects for his performance of the King's stutter, along with frustrations and pressures of being King. I think everyone who watched this will agree, it's such a charming film, you really find yourself rooting for the monarch in his pivotal World War II speech at the climax of the narrative. I also like how he gest pissed and starts swearing, it's so contrapuntal for someone of his rank.







Elizabeth (Hirst, 1998) & Elizabeth: The Golden Age (Kapur, 2007)

The name alone of this iconic English monarch connotes the current Queen. Cate Blanchett flourishes in this story of the not-so-Virgin Queen, which covers originally the conflict between a religiously torn country, and Elizabeth I's insecure rise to power, and in The Golden Age the Spanish Armada. Of the two of them I prefer the former, which is much darker, more operatic and more suiting to its medieval time period, where the clash between Protestantism and Catholicism was brutal to the extreme. And, if you're still not convinced, don't forget to check this out for Joseph Fiennes' emo love interest, yummy.





The Young Victoria (Vallee, 2009)

With family descendency less tentative than the Tudors, the Queen's great great great great (recurring) Grandmother twice removed (or something along those lines) was the inspiration for a sweet monarchal film a few years back. Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend are positively adorable as Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert. The look of the film itself is lavish and picturesque, Blunt has an enviable wardrobe, I wish we could still dress like that.









Royal Film celebrates the quintessentially British. It always seems to collaborate a fabulous British ensemble cast, is thriving with beautful aesthetics, from sweeping British countryside to elaborate  royal manors, and seems to encapsulate the anxieties of the time. And this is not simply a self-indulgent phenomena - globally people can't get enough of us, particularly in Republican America, where monarchy is nostalgic and exotic. To those who say we shouldn't have a Queen, I would argue that idea is short-sighted; our monarchy is part of our national identity, it brings international recognition and celebration in such films as I have mentioned, as well as tourism and a pop of optimism in times such as these.