Bout de chou: A messy, vintage French farce that's hard to look away from

Is it worth your time?

Look, if you are a fan of old, slightly chaotic French farces from the thirties, you’ll probably find something to enjoy here. It feels like a stage play that got lost on its way to the theater. But if you hate movies where the plot hinges on people lying about the most obvious things, you should probably skip this. It’s not for everyone.

The whole premise is just a classic case of "men behaving badly" in Paris. Mister Darnétal is supposed to be the sensible one, but he immediately treats his nephew’s life like a board game he can manipulate. The rhythm is fast, sometimes a little too fast, like the actors are trying to finish the movie before the lights go out.

Oddly Specific Moments

There is this moment where the uncle decides to marry the nephew’s ex—the one with the kid—just because he’s mad at the nephew. It’s supposed to be a punchline, I think? But it lands with a weird thud. It feels less like a romantic comedy twist and more like a fever dream.

The musical numbers by the Tiller’s Girls feel like they were filmed in a completely different movie. They appear out of nowhere, bright and shiny, and then vanish just as quickly. It’s like the film is desperately trying to remind you it’s an "extravaganza" whenever the script runs out of steam.

• The nephew’s obsession with the singer is painful to watch.
• The uncle’s friend is the definition of a "useless sidekick."
• I’m still not sure why the kid is named Bout de chou.

It’s nowhere near as sharp as Pas sur la bouche, which manages to handle the musical comedy balance way better. Bout de chou feels like it’s held together with tape and good intentions. Sometimes, the camera lingers on a prop—like a hat or a glass—a second too long. Maybe it was an accident. Maybe the operator was just bored.

There’s a lot of running around. People ducking into rooms, hiding behind curtains, the usual stuff. It’s all very stage-bound. If you like your movies to feel like they actually move through the world, you might feel a bit trapped by all these interiors. It’s a bit claustrophobic.

By the time it ends, you kind of feel like you’ve been at a loud dinner party where everyone had a bit too much wine. You’re not quite sure what happened, but you’re glad it’s over. It’s not great, but it’s definitely something.