Midnight in Paris (2011)

Woody Allen has made a wonderful new picture that is his best and most enjoyable work in years. It is his warmest, mellowest and funniest venture in far too long, bolstered by appealing performers and its love letter to Paris.

The critic finds Woody Allen's time-travel fantasy an adorable, light and assured bagatelle that showcases the director's enduring charm and wisdom about nostalgia. The period cameos and Parisian atmosphere are singled out as buoyant and elegantly handled.

Woody Allen’s lush and charming film is an amusing and elegantly constructed love letter to Paris, rich in romance, humour and culture, delivering easy warmth as a sweetly engaging Cannes opening night film.

The critic finds the time-travel fantasy charming in its surprises and strongest when leaving Gil's reveries unexplained, praising Wilson's nuanced portrayal of existential longing. However, the film is undercut by shrill, one-dimensional female characters and overly explicit thematic statements.

Woody Allen is back on form with this light fantasy about 1920s bohemian Paris, though the present-day scenes clunk a bit. The time-travel conceit is handled effortlessly with real laughs, witty touches and beguiling cameos.

It is a gently rapt fable of longing and satisfaction, caressed with wonderment, and Allen’s earnest and gravely romantic love letter to Paris. The conceit of visiting the greats is thin but part of the movie’s charm, though Allen hardly gives Gil a perceptive moment.

Midnight in Paris is proof that Woody Allen isn’t down to the dregs yet; it is a breezy, charming bauble that works better than his recent films. Owen Wilson manages the Woody-surrogate role with relaxed verve amid the 1920s literary cameos.

The critic sees it as a charming and unexpected return to form for Allen, a light, pastel-tinted nostalgia trip through Paris that romanticises the past while commenting on the present.

It is a familiar but breezy and amusing moral yarn and love letter to Paris, with fun time-travel elements and a charming Owen Wilson performance that gives the film a welcome lift.

The critic views the film as pleasant but lightweight cinematic froth that fails to fully convince, with facile modern scenes and a miscast lead. The historical cameos provide the main entertainment value.

The critic calls it one of Woody Allen's best films in a decade, praising the delightful script, gorgeous cinematography, joyful performances, and thoughtful take on nostalgia and artistic creation.

The critic describes the film as a small miracle and a real treat for fans, effortlessly entertaining, infinitely likeable and surprisingly warm after a run of misfires. It praises the engaging fantasy elements, Owen Wilson's likeable lead performance, beautiful visuals, and return to light fantasy comedy style.

The film remains relevant for treating time travel as a literary device that indulges then dismantles nostalgia fantasies. The critic singles out the intimate, loving portrait of Paris and the sharp thesis that every generation romanticizes the era before its own.

The critic finds it a frothy, loveably charming and above-average Woody Allen entry, a whimsical ode to Paris that intoxicates with its fantasy elements and gorgeous cinematography. It singles out the stunning visuals of the city, strong ensemble performances, and the magical realism for praise while noting it is light and not among his classics.

The critic finds the film warm and delightful, praising its humorous and wondrous fantasy premise of time-traveling to meet literary figures in 1920s Paris, carried by Owen Wilson's performance. Minor complaint about an undercooked third act.

The critic calls it one of Woody Allen's best films in years for capturing Paris's natural mystique and delivering a magical, nostalgic experience. Owen Wilson's performance as the troubled writer is highlighted as a delight, along with the charming ensemble cast and light-hearted historical encounters.

It's an entertaining, hilarious hit that explores nostalgia and the artistic impulse through a daring twist and strong casting. The critic singles out Owen Wilson's excellent, rootable performance as softening Allen's neurotic style.