MIDNIGHT IN PARIS LOCATIONS

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS FILMING LOCATIONS: GIL AND INEZ

THE HOTEL

The breathtaking panoramas of Paris in the opening scene, as well as a cozy, inviting sequence within Monet’s Gardens (80 km from Paris), are followed by a couple of principal characters on their way into a Parisian hotel, the first among the key Midnight in Paris filming locations. At that very instant, the audience finds themselves in ‘Arrondissement de l’Élysée’, the VIII district of Paris, more or less equidistant from the Louvre and the Arc of Triomphe. ‘Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré’ street, the one the hotel faces, gently accommodates governmental institutions and boutique dress shops with Pierre Cardin as the nearest, at arm’s length from ‘Palais de l’Élysée’ or ‘Elysee Palace’, a residence of the President. The hotel accommodation, which occupies a part of a living quarter at 112 rue du Faubourg St Honoré, presents Woody Allen’s movie with a reminiscence of the lobby, a restaurant, and the interiors of the rooms. ‘Hotel Le Bristol’ answered the first guest’s bell as far back as 1925 and since then welcomed many outstanding figures: 33rd President Harry Truman, Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin, Orson Wells, and Grace Kelly. The restaurant and a cafe within ‘Hotel Le Bristol’ have Michelin stars, the largest inner garden in Paris, and hypnotic terraces over the city. Gil settles a bill for a premier apartment of 320 square meters facing the garden.

 

CHOOSING A WEDDING RING: PLACE VENDOME

A surprise encounter with Inez’s old friend morphs into a visit to Versailles and an unexpected lecture from Michael Sheen’s character, a talkative social climber. Celestial landscapes of the former residence of the French kings give way to a shot with a bijou in the shop window of a Parisian jeweler. ‘Chopard’ takes pride in originating in Switzerland back in 1860 as a family business. In a lifetime of generations since then, the producer of boutique pocket watches extended its sphere of influence in goldsmithery. Inez and her mother take a glimpse of a jewelry shop at 1 Place Vendome, and their subsequent promenade favors a low panorama over Colonne Vendome, erected in the first years of the 19th century on the order of Napoleon Bonaparte. The location of the store is at the arm’s end of the Ritz Paris, one of the remarkable Da Vinci Code locations in Paris. 

 

VISITING THE RODIN MUSEUM

Paul’s eloquent walking lecture throughout the Gardens of Versailles is not to be the last experience of such kind for Gil (Owen Wilson). The next encounter, not long in coming, leads the four to ‘Musee Rodin’. The largest collection of works of the iconic French sculptor is to be appreciated in the VII district of Paris, across the road from ‘Hôtel des Invalides’. A dispute on the loved ones of Rodin between the educated female guide and a self-assertive Paul takes place at the foot of  ‘Le Penseur’ or ‘The Thinker’, the most recognized work of the artist. The museum itself is widely considered to be one of the most visited in Paris. 

 

WINE TASTING AT THE ROOFTOP

The walking tour endures and goes the extra mile with another occurrence for Paul to declare himself as an enlightened person: a wine tasting on the rooftop over Paris serves as an ideal pretext for self-glorification. The Midnight in Paris movie makes no secret of the exact location of this sequence, as the name of the hotel could be easily grasped at the front in a scene with all four breaking into the streets to debate plans for night entertainment. ‘Hotel Le Meurice’ has been welcoming its guests since 1835 and bears an unwritten status of ‘Hotel of the Kings’ thanks to the VIP lodgers among the regent families of Europe. The movie skims the cream of the location, the breathtaking panoramas of its upper terrace in particular. At the start, we luxuriate in the observation wheel, one of the modern symbols of the city at ‘Place de la Concorde’ square. The same side of the terrace delights in a panorama over ‘Le Jardin des Tuileries’ (Tuileries garden) and the palace complex of the Louvre. The subsequent perspective fills the scene with the image of the Eiffel Tower. 

 

ANTIQUES BOUTIQUE

In succession to the most splendid night in his entire life, Gil feels spiritual enlightenment to write his novel, yet he willingly follows Inez’s agenda not to miss a price decrease on the meaningless piece of antiquariat. At this very moment in time, the principal character looks little like a maker of his fate, notedly claiming Gil to be a know-nothing man on the issues of antique possessions. Unsurprisingly, the idea of buying the worthless chair for 18,000 euros provokes Gil’s suppressed doubts. On the way out of the shop, he is delighted to take a walk across the rainy streets of Paris; a dream seems to be unshared by both Inez and her mother, who find no joy in such leisure. The far background of the scene is dominated by Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, consecrated back in 1861. The landmark gives us no chance to miss the exact location of the sequence: a crossroad of ‘Boulevard de Courcelles’ and ‘Rue des Renaudes’ streets, less than ten minutes’ moderate walking distance from the Arc of Triomphe and Champs-Élysées. At present, the BONTON shop is the exact shopping site. 

 

VISITING THE ART GALLERY

The educational promenades across Paris with Paul (Michael Sheen) are to be continued with ‘Le Musée de l’Orangerie’ as a new rostrum for the over-intellectualization. This art gallery in the Southwest part of the Tuileries Gardens is widely known for the collections of impressionists and post-impressionists. The unique naming of the building originates from its initial purpose, namely a greenhouse for heat-loving fruit plants. As early as the 20th century, the former greenery of 1852 was reshaped into an art museum, in no small degree to accommodate the works of Claude Monet. It bears noting that Monet’s hall, which witnesses a new dispute between Paul and Gil on art, mirrors the exact lightning from the ‘Monet Gardens’, a place of the birth of the paintings.  The Museum is located next to the famous Place De la Concorde Square, also known as one of the Bourne Identity movie locations (The Killer meets with Nicole). 

 

DULUC DETECTIVE

A suspicious father of Inez finds a solution in hiring a private detective for a harmless family spying on Gil and his moving across Paris, notedly in the nighttime. The naming of the agency on a neon sign, which itself is a landmark, grants a helping hand in locating the exact place: 18 rue du Louvre in the 1st district of Paris, to the East of the Louvre. ‘Duluc detective’ owes its origin to Jean Duluc, the founder, who opened his doors as far back as 1913. The business shifted its residency twice and the owner once to find the present location in 1945. It is worth noting that the neon sign has welcomed potential clients since 1954. 

 

Gil Pender’s Loneliness in Paris

GIL IS LOST AMONG THE STREETS OF PARIS

All while Gil’s intended wife-to-be gossips about Gil, unkindly, with Paul, the principal character himself gives preference to a moderate walk across the cozy streets of Paris. The audience sees him walking down Rue Edouard Quenu Street in the V district of Paris. The street has been used to shape the map of the city since the 12th century and has been renamed many times until the present commemoration of an appraised French surgeon. Gil experiences a moment of frustration while trying to track his location next to a street cafe. The coffee spot has changed slightly since 2011: the same ‘Bistro, Resto, Cafe’ signs at the crossroads. A few moments later, he turns into ‘Rue Pascal’, named after the philosopher and mathematician of the XVIII century. 

 

AN AUTO TO THE PAST

Gil Pender is a little off-course toward his ‘Le Bristol’ hotel, finding himself within a cozy, welcoming street of Paris. He takes his time to take a load off his feet at the stone steps next to a crossroad. The wonders are not long in coming as a cue Peugeot car emerges from around the corner and takes Gil to the most recognizable ride of his entire life. The cathedral, which gave space to Owen Wilson’s character, can be described as an architectural and historical fusion of Renaissance, Gothic, and Baroque. The building of ‘Église Saint-Étienne du Mont’ stretched out for more than a century and is appreciated as a cradle of St. Genevieve, the patroness of Paris. Any movie admirer is in a position to take time at the stone steps and wait for their transport to the past within ‘Rue de la Montagne Sainte Geneviève’ street. 

 

GIL FINDS THE LAUNDRY

Gil luxuriates on an incredible Parisian night in the 1920s and makes his way back to Polidor restaurant a few moments after an outing. While his trail is still hot, Gil finds nothing more than a modern laundry at the location of the recent banquet. It is worth noting that the location is distant from the POLIDOR by at least half an hour’s walk. ‘LAVERIE’ laundries have been well-regarded in the course of the last half a century, and the Parisian topography of the cleaning units extends for a few dozen places throughout the city. It must be said that Woody Allen’s visit has turned a laundry at 16 Rue des Patriarches in the V district into a Parisian landmark. Admittedly, the site is close enough to ‘Rue Edouard Quenu’, where Gil got lost on the eve. 

 

GIL PENDER WALKS SEINE

Once declining a perspective of an ideal weekend, as Inez and her parents appreciate the agenda, the main character makes another meditative promenade across Paris, his first choice. Gil takes his time walking beside the quay of the Seine River in the very place where he and Adriana have recently saved the life of Miss Fitzgerald next to Pont Neuf. In the narrow sense, this short sequence with Gil lavishes the Midnight in Paris movie with its commonest cover image. As far as ‘Quai des Grands Augustins’ dominates the far background, the scene is being beautified with the “Let’s Do It, Let’s Fall in Love” song by Cole Porter, another legend that Gil has already seen in Paris. The lines about the ‘overeducated fleas‘ cultivate a metaphor for Gil’s life, who deserves to fall in love and be the apple of one’s eye. 

 

BUYING A BOOK

Being governed at the bidding of the heart rather than clear-eyed realism, Gil retraces his steps toward a vintage market and meets up with the girl of his dreams once again. With an aged phonograph record under his arm, he carries on a walk beside a Seine quay to fasten eyes on a vintage book at a pavement trader. In practice, it may take a length of light to travel through all the book installations of such kind in Paris. Taking into consideration the previous scene, the best-educated guess points the way toward Quai de Montebello across the iconic Notre Dame de Paris. 

 

READING MEMOIRS NEXT TO NOTRE DAME

Once getting possession of a relic book, Gil vainly encourages a book trader to translate the memoirs. The Parisian roads take him to a guide, who had to experience Paul’s crooked pomposity. The Woman reads aloud complete passages from the book, which turned out to be Adriana’s memoirs, the one containing mysteries of her heart and reminiscences on Gil in particular. The eastern side of the Notre Dame de Paris could be easily appreciated in the background of the scene. It staggers belief that this very corner of the Cité island had been a spoil heap until the XVIII century, when the location was shaped into a residency of the archprelate and later into a public garden. At present, the park is well-regarded as ‘Square Jean XXIII’, once named after the Pope of the mid-20th century. 

 

A STREET CAFE

The previous night affected Gil’s life and worldview fateful. Gil gets wise to the fact that he cannot live in the past anymore, dreaming about a girl not of this time, who therefore feels disappointed with his age. Gil breaks off the relationship with Inez, knowing her mistruth and intrigue with Paul. Owen Wilson’s character finds a place in a street cafe with a glass of beer rather than a cup of French coffee. Geographically speaking, his present promenade across Paris brings him once again to Seine Quay: the corner of ‘Quai de la Tournelle’ and ‘Rue des Bernardins’ just across the ‘Square Jean XXIII’, where Gil had taken advantage of a day before. 

 

GIL AT THE SHAKESPEARE & COMPANY BOOKSTORE

A new narrative sequence is beautified with a front-side and conjointly the iconic status of the ‘Shakespeare & Company’. The worldwide acclaimed bookstore has been sheltering desolate hearts and artistic individuals for decades. It is the very place from which the story of ‘Before Sunset’ by Richard Linklater originates. Gil left the store empty-handed. It’s not likely for him to crave other revelations in French in memoirs: these last days in Paris changed his life and attitude to life, and a fresh walk freshens his thoughts to see new opportunities. Hardly surprising is the fact that Owen Wilson became a frequenter at Shakespeare & Company while shooting the movie—a place that indeed granted just a few seconds to the story. 

 

PONT ALEXANDRE III BRIDGE

Gil’s promenade across Paris endures right up to the nighttime and midnight. He makes his deliberate walking, still with hands in the pockets, lengthwise along a people-less Pont Alexandre III. The most ‘delicately shaped’ bridge in a city, as it is generally well-regarded, is indeed worldwide famous for its ornamental finishing, light posts, and statues. Once falling into existential thinking with a view over the Eiffel Tower, Gil discovers Gabrielle, a charming young girl from the antique marketplace. She reveals the fact that her accommodation neighbor, Pont Alexandre III, could easily provoke envy from anyone who appreciates the location of the bridge in the very heart of Paris. “Paris is the most beautiful in the rain” serves as a culmination of the whole story, literally of vital importance for Gil, mirroring his yet unshared romantic nature. 

 

GIL PENDER IN THE PAST

THE FIRST PARTY

As the story shows, Gil requires being lost in the streets of Paris, metaphorically and quite literally. A vintage Peugeot with eccentric passengers inside picks him up at the foot of ‘Église Saint-Étienne du Mont’ church to take the American for parts unknown. The very next scene makes no extended overture before the first stop. Much to his surprise, Gil happens to get together with Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, all while Cole Porter and his music convince him that unimaginable things are taking place. As for the exterior of the scenery with a car, a cozy ‘Quai de Bourbon’ quay luxuriates the Western end of ‘Ile Saint Louis’ island, a younger brother of Cité island in the heart of Paris and the Seine River. 

 

BRICKTOP CLUB

During his first night in Paris in the 1920s, Gil had the good fortune to visit several locations. Upon the earlier of a cheerful party at ‘Quai de Bourbon’, the joyous core of the clique, including Fitzgeralds, sweeps Gil away in the open car. ‘Bricktop’ club, the second-in-a-row party place that night, makes a historical reference to Ada ‘Bricktop’ Smith, the famous singer and dance girl of her time. Back in the early XX century, she set up two-night clubs in Paris, both at ‘rue Pigalle’ within the Montmartre neighborhood. The movie-adapted version of the Bricktop Club was located in the V district of Paris next to the Luxembourg Palace. It is worth saying that the next night’s adventures would take us again to this very location while exhibiting Gertrude Stein’s home. 

 

POLIDOR RESTAURANT

As a miraculous night shows its kindness to Gil Pender, the ‘Polidor’ restaurant at 41 Rue Monsieur le Prince is to become the third adventure in the 1920s. Historically and still located in the 6th district of Paris in the neighborhood of Sorbonne University and Odeon Theatre, it is regarded as one of the few authentic cafes in the city. Its history originates from as far back as 1845, a cheese store at that time of the formative years. As early as the end of the 19th century, Polidor was privileged to become one of the fancied oases for the intellectuals: artists, writers, politicians, and students. Jack Kerouac, James Joyce, and, of course, Ernest Hemingway were among the most recognized guests of the restaurant. The iconic eccentric author used to live in close vicinity with his first wife, and the Polidor was given the honor to be mentioned in Hemingway’s writing. The author used to appreciate the place while encountering close friends; it’s twice symbolic for him to find a new one in Gil Pender. The interior of Polidor has changed slightly in more than a century and captivates with pretty much the same sense of place as in the times of its legendary frequent visitors. 

 

GERTRUDE STEIN’S HOME

On his second night in Paris in the 1920s, Gil had a good deal of luck visiting the home of the legendary Gertrude Stein, a writer and poetess, playwright, and advocate for women’s rights. As a matter of interest, Woody Allen has already taken advantage of the location for the exterior of the Bricktop restaurant the night before. 27 rue de Fleurus in the vicinity of the Luxembourg Palace used to accommodate Gertrude Stein for 33 years, the fact commemorated in a plaque at the entrance. A century before Gil Pender, the door witnessed intellectuals, writers in particular, who used to spend their Parisian time at home with their friends and a mentor. Though the location still serves the status of a landmark for every admirer of Gertrude Stein, the apartment does not include a museum and is in private ownership. 

 

GIL AND ADRIANA

WALKING WITH ADRIANA

Coming together with Adriana turns Gil’s world upside down just as much as friendship with Hemingway, Picasso, and the Fitzgeralds. On the heels of their first acquaintance at Gertrude Stein’s home, the two lovebirds are together once more. The last thing Gil wants to do is discuss his writing activity; thus, he comes up with an idea to walk across Paris. Adriana makes a playful comment about Gil’s status as a tourist. The movie takes its characters and the audience to ‘Place Dauphine’ on the other side of the road to building number 17, giving a clue to the exact camera angle. A square of a triangular shape invitingly accommodates oneself in the western part of Cité Island at arm’s length from the legendary ‘Pont Neuf’ bridge. The place stood out against the surrounding area centuries ago, and the present ‘Place Dauphine’, once named after the unwritten naming of the heritors to the throne, has preserved two authentic buildings of the times of French kings. The fact that the square is located on an island and surrounded by a quarter of buildings densifies the sense of Parisian authenticity, the one lavished and appraised by Midnight in Paris locations.  Place Dauphine is also well known because of ‘Me Before You‘. 

 

MONTMARTRE STEPS

Time in the open Parisian air with Adriana originated at Cité island in the heart of the city, yet to be endured in the distance from the initial point of getting together. Concerning their snail-paced rhythm of working, it could take up to two hours to cover this topographical interval, yet it may very well be. The narration is being carried away to the XVII district of Paris, the world-renowned Montmartre. It is hard to contemplate this corner of the French capital without a glimpse of the magnificent Sacré Coeur, a catholic church at the highest point of Paris, dominating the area. In clear weather, the site grants a breathtaking panorama over a city, likely appreciated by Gil and Adriana. The sequence locates the characters at the foot of a cozy ‘Rue Du Chevalier de la Barre’ street to the East of the cathedral. 

 

SAVING ZELDA FITZGERALD

Gil and Adriana seem delighted to express their mutual excitement with the outing across a nighttime Paris. The two branches of ‘Quai des Orfevres’ in the Western part of the Cité Island meet the Seine River. It is just the very quay of Paris, which would breathe life into the cover of the Midnight in Paris movie and the one Gil would later take advantage of as a walking area (‘overeducated fleas‘ sequence). The two soon-to-be love birds identify a woman silhouette, who came up to be Zelda Fitzgerald, trying on her impetus to touch the waters of the Seine River. A befriending, four helping hands, and a pill of Valium keep a young woman safe from an inconsiderate act to preserve Mrs. Fitzgerald for history. The scene comes to life next to a world-famed Pont Neuf, the oldest preserved bridge over the Seine with four centuries of history. 

 

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS CAFE SCENE

In their last joint venture night in Paris, Gil and Adriana take delight in the continuation of their meditative walk across the city. A night fog enveils the far background of the site, yet readily guessed as ‘Place Dauphine’, a triangular square in the western corner of Cité, the one from the previous night. For the present, they change positions closer to the southern part of a cozy open space, surrounded by a historical housing development. Moving to 15 Place Dauphine, the two make themselves comfortable in front of the ‘PAUL’ restaurant. The history of the place originates from the beginning of the 20th century, the time when Paul had already been appreciated by the artists and intellectuals. The interior of the restaurant has been preserved as an authentic piece of bohemian Paris. It must be said that Gil and Adrian could take advantage of the cozy site for a short while without even delighting in a cup of coffee before the coming of a mysterious equipage. 

 

MAXIM’S RESTAURANT

Once out of the carriage, Adriana affirms her devotion to the ‘Belle Époque’ or ‘great era’ of Parisian history. Within the doors of Maxim’s restaurant, women parade with their best dresses as far as the painters of the 19th century do sketching at the tables, intellectualizing historical eras. The iconic outing resort of the Parisian bohemia welcomed the first guests as far back as 1893 and was later transformed into one of the most recognized restaurants in Paris. MAXIM’S is to be found within the VIII district next to ‘Place de la Concorde’, a square sadly remembered as a location for a guillotine in the time of the French Revolution, particularly used for King Louis XVI. The Art Nouveau interior has been preserved until the present day, and over the century, a restaurant welcomed Edith Piaf, Coco Chanel, Marcel Proust, and Marlene Dietrich. The resort indeed includes a large concert hall for live performances as well as an art museum. Extreme popularity made it possible to find a franchise of restaurants of the same name, with three new ones in Tokyo, Shanghai, and Beijing.