One of my good friends,
Carolyn Crawford (an AMAZING botanical illustrator) recently gave me a copy of the movie
Midnight in Paris. She'd been raving about it for months and begging me to watch it. My husband and I finally saw it last night, and now I understand her insistence! Because we honeymooned in Paris, and I am a writer, we both enjoyed this movie a lot. So much, in fact, we watched it 2 times last night just to catch things that we might have missed first time around. It's possible that they even showed a view of the hotel in Ste. Germain that we stayed in back in 2001. I'm not a big fan of
Owen Wilson, but I liked his character in this movie and thought he played it well.
Adrien Brody was hilarious as
Salvador Dali! (Every time I hear the word 'rhinoceros' now, I'll think of him.) My interest is also peaked in learning more about
Ernest Hemmingway,
F. Scott Fitzgerald,
Gertrude Stein, and other figures from that era. An interesting aside: It was said that my late paternal grandfather looked a lot like Hemmingway in his later years.
So, this movie made me think. If I could go back in time, what eras would I choose to visit?! I don't have any interest in the 1890's or the 1920's (that were featured in the movie). I'd rather spend some time as a lady in the court at Versailles (Marie Antoinette threw some kick ass parties!) before the revolution then literally switch hats and be a spectator at some of the revolutionary meetings. I'd also like to take a trip back to Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco during the "Summer of Love" in 1967 and maybe hang out in that era for a few years, so I could attend some concerts of todays classic rock bands like The Doors, Bad Company, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and early AC/DC. (A litte hedonistic, aren't I?) What era would you go back to visit if you had the chance?
I've never seen that movie. I might have to put it on my TBW list. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I would go back to any other era. We have so many things now that we didn't have before. I couldn't do without the technology. However, the one thing that would make me want to go back would be the clothing. Some of the dresses from times past are beautiful, especially in Europe in the 1800's. But one of the prettiest dresses I've ever seen is that black and red lace one Rose wore on the movie The Titanic.
I could do without the technology. (Only a time traveler from the future would even realize what they are missing.) When you look at all those wordy novels from past centuries, you know they had a lot more time on their hands to write. Of course, for a woman, unless you were a wealthy aristocrat with a nanny, much of your time would have been spent caring for the children. But, no indoor plumbing? Oh, the horrors! It must have been a challenge to use those chamber pots and outhouses in those gorgeous dresses!
ReplyDelete