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5.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Château de rêve remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like old French comedies that don't take themselves too seriously, you'll probably enjoy this. If you need grit or deep psychological tension, look elsewhere. People who hate stuffy "royalty" movies might actually like this because it spends so much time poking fun at the whole idea of being a prince.
Danielle Darrieux is basically the whole show here. She plays an actress who is so tired of the fake glitz of movie sets that she just wants something real. When she bumps into an extra who happens to be a prince, it's obviously the classic "will they, won't they" routine. She is fantastic at making even the silliest lines sound like she's letting you in on a secret.
It's funny to think about how this compares to something like Les cinq gentlemen maudits. Where that movie is trying to build a bit of a mystery, Château de rêve is just trying to be a pleasant afternoon distraction. It doesn't have any big ambitions, and that's exactly why it works.
There's a moment near the middle where the prince tries to act like a regular guy, and he is terrible at it. He holds a coffee cup like it's a dangerous explosive. It’s the kind of little detail that makes you realize the director wasn't just phoning it in.
The dialogue moves faster than a taxi in Paris. Sometimes it's hard to keep up, but you don't really miss much if you zone out for a second. It's just fluff, but it's tasty fluff. 🥐
I wish the ending had a bit more punch. It just kind of stops. Like they ran out of film and just said, "Yeah, that looks like a good place to cut it." But honestly? I didn't mind. I had a good time watching it, even if I'll probably forget the specific plot points by next Tuesday.
