Bon Voyage: A bit of old-fashioned confusion

Should you bother?

If you have a soft spot for 1930s operettas and don't mind a story that feels like it’s constantly tripping over its own feet, you might have a good time here. It’s light, breezy, and mostly harmless. If you need your movies to have tight pacing or a plot that makes perfect sense, stay far away. This isn't exactly The Cocoanuts in terms of zany energy, but it has that same dusty, theatrical DNA.

The whole thing kicks off with two guys returning to Hamburg. They’ve been in Brazil. Why Brazil? Doesn't matter. They’re back, and the air is thick with romantic desperation. One guy is the 'serious' one looking for real love. The other is a bit of a goof chasing a fake heiress. It’s the classic setup for a hundred stage plays, and the film doesn't try to reinvent the wheel.

Odd little bits

• Adele Sandrock absolutely steals every room she walks into. She’s got this way of looking at people that makes you feel like she knows exactly how much money is in your wallet.
• The transition shots between the boat and the city feel like they were pasted together with glue and hope.
• There is a scene involving a mistaken identity that goes on for about four minutes too long. It’s the kind of thing where you start looking at your own hands just to pass the time.

I couldn't help but think about Arme, kleine Eva while watching this. There’s a similar vibe of people being slightly confused by their own feelings. It’s all very polite and musical, but sometimes you wish someone would just say what they mean. Instead, we get more singing and more pacing around drawing rooms.

Is it good? Honestly, it’s just okay. It feels a bit like a relic, which it is. You can feel the stage origins in every frame, especially when the characters stand around waiting for the music to kick in. It doesn't have the grit of The Seas Beneath, but then again, it’s not trying to. It’s just trying to keep the lights on and the audience smiling. Sometimes that's enough. 🚢✨

Some of the dialogue hits that weird middle ground where it's too formal to be funny and too silly to be romantic. It’s charming in a 'my grandmother might have liked this' sort of way. I wouldn't rush to watch it twice, though.