Always Tell Your Wife: A relic that actually has some bite

Is this worth your time?

Honestly, only if you are already knee-deep in 1930s cinema. If you are looking for a breezy Friday night watch, look elsewhere. People who love old-school theatrical drama will eat this up, but anyone else might find it a bit... dusty.

Devika Rani is clearly the only person who knows what the camera is for here. She carries scenes that would otherwise fall flat on their faces.

The pacing is a disaster

The movie skips over beats like it is trying to catch a train. Sometimes a whole conversation happens in the blink of an eye, and other times a single reaction shot lingers way longer than it needs to. It is almost funny how uneven it feels.

There is this one moment near the middle where the characters are just sort of standing around looking distressed. It lasts for ten seconds too long. You can literally see them waiting for the cue to start talking again. It is bizarrely charming in a low-budget way.

Compared to the rest

It definitely lacks the polished, moody atmosphere you see in something like The Beloved Vagabond. That film felt like it had a budget for its shadows, at least. Here, everything is bright and a bit cramped, like they were filming in a hallway.

It also makes me miss the weird, experimental energy of The Iceman's Ball. At least that one knew exactly what kind of mess it wanted to be. This movie feels a bit confused about whether it wants to be a drama or a frantic comedy.

• The lighting is honestly pretty rough.
• The dialogue sounds like it was written in a hurry on a napkin.
• Rani’s costume changes are the only thing keeping the visual interest alive.

I found myself zoning out during the dialogue scenes and just staring at the wallpaper patterns. That is never a great sign. Still, there is a certain raw energy to the whole thing that you just don't get in modern, super-slick productions. It is imperfect, messy, and totally aware of its own limitations, which I sort of respect.