27 rue de la Paix: A grim walk through the Seine

Should you watch 27 rue de la Paix tonight? If you have a soft spot for moody French crime dramas from the 1930s, then absolutely. If you need pacing that moves like a modern superhero flick, you will be bored to tears within twenty minutes.

Jules Berry is the reason this thing holds together. He has this way of looking at a room that makes you feel like he knows exactly what you’re hiding, even if he’s just looking for an ashtray. His performance reminded me a bit of the quiet intensity you see in The Gaunt Stranger—that same sense of someone waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The vibe is thick

The cinematography captures Paris in a way that feels damp and cold. There’s a scene by the river that lasts a bit too long, honestly. It’s just water lapping against the stone and some guy looking mournful, and I found myself wondering if they just ran out of dialogue for the take. But then, the silence kind of works.

• The lighting in the office scenes is perfectly moody.
• Renée Saint-Cyr has about three expressions, but she uses them well.
• The plot holes are big enough to drive a carriage through, but who cares?

There is a weird moment in the middle where the dialogue gets so stilted it feels like a stage play that forgot it was being filmed. It’s charming in a “they really tried” sort of way. It isn't nearly as heavy as something like Dolina slyoz, thank goodness.

The film doesn't really try to explain the 'why' of the murder. It’s more interested in the 'who' and the 'how much trouble can one guy cause.' It feels like a precursor to the hard-boiled stuff that would come later. Sometimes it feels like it’s barely holding onto its own thread.

The ending? It just sort of happens. No big explosion, no dramatic monologue that changes the world. It’s just a guy walking away from a mess he made. I kinda liked that. It felt human in a way a lot of movies don't anymore. 🍷