Bouton d'or: A relic worth digging up?

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, you probably shouldn't watch Bouton d'or if you’re looking for a tight, modern script. It’s for the folks who get a kick out of seeing how actors moved and breathed in early cinema, back when every frame looked like it might catch fire. If you hate slow pacing or movies that feel like they were filmed in someone’s living room, keep walking. 🎥

I found myself zoning out during the middle act, only to be snapped back by a look Lucien Callamand gives the camera. It’s that kind of movie. It doesn't ask for your full attention, which is actually kind of a relief.

The vibe is... very beige

There’s a specific stillness to these old French comedies that you don't really see anymore. Everything feels like it’s happening behind a veil of attic dust. Jeanne Helbling carries the scenes she’s in with this strange, twitchy energy—almost like she’s trying to communicate in a language we’ve forgotten.

The pacing is, well, chaotic. Sometimes it feels like an hour passes in thirty seconds, and other times a single conversation about nothing at all drags on until you’re counting the cracks in the furniture. It reminds me a bit of the aimless strolling in The Sudden Gentleman, where the plot is mostly just an excuse to exist in a space.

Small, weird details

• Pauline Carton is there, of course. She always looks like she knows exactly how the movie ends and is just waiting for everyone else to catch up.
• The lighting in one scene is so flat it makes everyone look like cardboard cutouts. I kind of loved it.
• Is it just me, or does the background music sound like it was recorded through a tin can? 🥫

It’s not trying to be Camille. It’s just a little bit of nonsense. Sometimes I think we over-analyze these things. Maybe it was just meant to be a quiet afternoon at the theater for people who were tired of their own lives.

The ending comes out of nowhere. It’s not a twist, really. It’s more like the director just decided, “Yeah, that’s enough of that,” and cut the feed. You’re left sitting there wondering if you missed a scene, but you didn't. That’s just how they did it.

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s not even a particularly good movie by modern standards. But it feels human. It feels like someone set up a camera, yelled 'action,' and hoped for the best. I can respect that.