Austin Film Festival Movie Review: ‘Midnight at the Paradise’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Liane Balaban and Allan Hawco as iris and Alex in ‘Midnight at the Paradise’.

This piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.
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We like to believe that when we reach a certain age, we will have everything in life figured out, especially in matters of love. We’ll know how to love our significant other, and know what sacrifices need to be made to keep them happy and keep our relationship thriving. Plus, we will know that our love is solid and never can be broken and well, that is why we often find ourselves quite surprised when we come to discover… that we will know none of those things when we enter into adulthood. For we learn instead that love is difficult and painful, and that two souls don’t always sync up perfectly and that their needs change with time and that we may in fact, fail at love through and through.

Which puts us in a tough place, wherein we find ourselves in a panic of sorts. Where we don’t know what to do to keep our partner happy, to find the spark we once had. And that can lead to all kinds of tough times for us. Wherein we may step away from the person we love out of the belief that we aren’t right for them, or we might hurt them and find what we need elsewhere while keeping them around for stability. Or… we straight up forge ahead and try to figure out how to make it work despite our fears because we want what we want out of love. But to get to any of those points… we need time and a chance to discover what our souls are telling us we need or time to figure out what our significant other needs, and it just so happens that a film screening at the Austin Film Festival explores all of that.

A feat that Midnight at the Paradise accomplishes by introducing us to three couples in crisis. There’s Iris and Geoff, who are married with children and seemingly happy, but Iris isn’t sure this is the life she signed up for. There’s Alex and Anthea, a pair of red-hot lovers heading for marriage, but Alex isn’t sure that leaving the lothario lifestyle behind is a good idea, or if his bride to be is really ‘the one’. And of course, there’s Max and Charmaine, who are no longer a couple but are in a reflective place. For Max is dying and he and Charmaine are ready to ponder upon what went wrong and if it was all worth it, on a night of discovery. For Alex is an old friend of Iris’, and he’s back in town for work and to see Max, who is Iris’ father, and he is also wondering if he should explore what he never did with her, and that decision… will impact all of them deeply in the hours to come.

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Kenneth Welsh as Max in ‘Midnight at the Paradise’.

Which gives rise to a flawless exploration of the subject matter at hand. Of how we deeply worry about the path we’re on romantically, and how it brings us panic and terror and pushes us to be… well… stupid. Because Max, Iris and Alex make some decisions here that frustrate, but they are real in nature, and reflect the places we’ve been and the journey of discovery we went upon, and the clarity they find reminds us of the importance of going on this journey. On what it really means to love and what we must endure when we choose to say, ‘I Do’ or ‘I Love You’ and that gives rise to a powerful story. One that we can all relate to, and one that captivates us because of the depth and thought that went into Bill Robertson’s masterful screenplay. One that leaves no stone unturned in matters of love and also provides the viewer, with some other surprises.
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For in many ways, this motion picture is at the same time… a giant love letter to classic cinema. One that celebrates the wonder of the theater and the emotions and outright awe that film evokes within our heart and how in some ways, our love of cinema relates to our love life. For it is what helps us believe that we will reach a maturity that will define the time we spend with our partner, when in fact… they are just movies. Designed to evoke a response and an experience. Which holds some irony since we are in fact, discussing a movie, but that too… lends to the cinematic lesson and celebration present here. Since this story speaks to film’s evolution and how it has gone from fluffy and tear-jerking entertainment into something deeper and more visceral for each of us.

All of which brings forth, a brilliant story really. One that just plunges us into the midst of a powerful night showcasing the wonder and the folly of the human condition. For our flaws and imperfections are on display often in this story, but so is the majesty of love and the wonders we are capable of, and it is so well-written and so engaging, and the performances are so powerful, that you find yourself enthralled from beginning to end and you’re eager to learn if Iris will stay with her husband or give into Alex’s boyish charms and rebellious ways. And for that matter you must learn if Max and Charmaine find meaning in their love, their lives, and the only way to know… is to meet these flawed and wondrous people at midnight, at the old Paradise theater.
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For screening information, please visit the Austin Film Festival’s website.

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