Bichon: A Dusty French Farce That Might Just Make You Smile

Is Bichon worth your time today? If you like your movies to feel like a stage play that someone accidentally filmed, then absolutely. If you need pacing that doesn't involve people shouting in drawing rooms, you’ll probably hate it within ten minutes.

It’s a strange little artifact. The whole thing feels like it’s vibrating with a specific, frantic energy that doesn't really exist in modern comedies anymore. Robert Seller is doing a lot of heavy lifting here, mostly by just looking perpetually stressed out.

There is this one scene—I think about halfway through—where the dialogue gets so fast I actually had to rewind it twice. Not because it was complex, but because I lost track of who was lying to whom about the dog. Yes, the dog. It’s the centerpiece of the chaos.

Honestly, watching this made me think about Murder by the Clock in the weirdest way. Not because they are similar—they aren't—but because there is that same sense of theatrical artificiality. Everything is very deliberate.

The sets look like they might tip over if someone slammed a door too hard. Which, to be fair, they do. A lot.

Bits and pieces I scribbled down:

• The lighting in the second act is surprisingly moody for a comedy. Like, did the DP forget this was supposed to be funny?
• Dolly Davis steals every frame she is in, mostly by doing absolutely nothing while everyone else is losing their minds.
• The ending feels like it was tacked on because someone yelled "wrap it up!" from the back of the studio.

It’s not a masterpiece, and it doesn't try to be. It’s a faded photograph of a type of humor that relied entirely on social norms being broken. Since those norms don't exist anymore, it feels a bit like watching a ghost perform a vaudeville routine.

Do I regret watching it? Not really. It’s got a weird, dusty charm. Just don't go in expecting to be moved. Go in expecting to watch people be very, very confused for an hour or so. 🐕