As is my MO, I needed a movie to stream before I went to Paris for the first time. I couldn’t wait to be AT all the places that I’d ‘visited’ so many times before on TV, in books, and in movies. I enjoy the preview and it increases my enthusiasm. But, as I already knew from experience, watching it on the way-to never compares to how much more I like the movie on the way home. Nothing quite beats RE-visiting a place after you’ve actually been there. Suddenly, they’re no longer just locations you can name like on a flashcard – they’re feelings. Seeing actors move in and around spaces you’ve passed through yourself adds a whole new dimension – it’s being there without being there. This brings us to “Midnight in Paris”.
In the 2011 movie by Woody Allen (I’ll ask you to separate the man from the art in this case), you’ll find a love letter to Paris across landscapes and time. That’s how multi-dimensional Paris is – it’s not just checking sights off a list of must-sees (although, I had a list of must-sees). It’s pausing for a second and think about all those who went before you. Parts of the city glow with reminders of the past and they shaped the Paris you’re visiting today. This movie takes on that topic and I think your memories of Paris will be revitalized by it.
The locations they visit in the movie state the case better than I do – they leave no stone un-turned.
- Notre Dame Cathedral
- Saint-Ouen Flea Market
- Faubourg Saint-Honore
- Musée Rodin
- Musée de l’Orangerie
- Pont Alexandre III
- Café du Trocadéro
- Place de la Concorde
- Palais Garnier (Paris Opera House)
- Pont Neuf
- Arc de Triomphe
- Musée de Louvre
If you’re longing to go, want to anticipate an upcoming trip, or want to relive a memory you hold dear, try this movie. You won’t even have to leave your home, but there’s a fairly good chance you’ll hit TripAdvisor or Airbnb at least once in close proximity of your viewing to see about just MAYBE putting a trip together or adding to your itinerary…..
This movie is available in a variety of formats. For an added treat, order up some of these and some of this. Talk about being transported.
So, send yourself a postcard – whether it’s “Wish you were here” or “Remembering fondly”.
