Abenteuer am Lido: A strange little walk down memory lane

Should you watch Abenteuer am Lido? If you have a soft spot for vintage European cinema and don’t mind a plot that moves at the speed of a gentle stroll, then yes. If you need your movies to have modern editing or constant action, you will probably be bored out of your mind within ten minutes. ☕

The whole thing centers on Mattei, a tenor who decided he was done with the stage. Watching someone try to run away from their own fame is always a bit funny, isn't it? Like you can just put on a hat and pretend the voice doesn't exist.

Walter Rilla carries this thing with a sort of weary dignity. You can see the exhaustion in his posture whenever someone recognizes him. It reminded me a bit of the quiet despair you find in older dramas like Mother Love, though much lighter in spirit.

There is a scene near the Lido—the beach settings are actually quite lovely for a film of this vintage—where the light hits the water and everything feels perfectly still. Then someone starts talking, and the spell breaks. It’s a bit jarring, honestly.

I found myself staring at the background extras more than the leads at one point. There’s a guy in a straw hat in the third row of the restaurant scene who is clearly struggling to keep a straight face. It’s those little, unpolished bits that make me like these old movies more than the super-slick stuff we get today.

The pacing is… well, it’s definitely a product of its time. Some scenes linger long enough for you to contemplate your own grocery list. It doesn’t have the kinetic energy of Rhythmus 21, but that’s clearly not the point. It just wants to sit in the sun for a while.

Is the script brilliant? No. It’s comfortable. It feels like wearing an old sweater that’s lost a few buttons. You know how it’s going to end, and the movie knows you know, so it just kind of drifts toward the finish line.

Odd observations:

• The sound recording has this weird, hollow echo in the indoor scenes.
• The transition between the retirement scenes and the return to music is way too fast.
• I’m still not sure what the deal was with that one waiter.

It’s not a masterpiece. But for a Tuesday night when the rain is hitting the window? It hits the spot. Just don't expect it to change your life.