Die un-erhörte Frau: A weirdly specific solution to a boring marriage

Should you watch this?

Honestly, only if you have a thing for old German comedies that feel like a stage play stuck in a loop. If you’re a fan of screwball antics where everyone is constantly confused, you might get a kick out of it. If you want something grounded or actually realistic about relationships, stay far away.

The whole premise is absurd. Lisa decides that because her husband won't listen to her shopping requests, the best move is to pretend she has no idea who he is. It's the kind of logic you usually only see in Madame Behave or similar light-weight fluff from that era.

Notes from the couch

There is this moment where the psychiatrist, Dr. Spinelski, just rolls with the insanity instead of actually doing his job. It’s hilarious in a why-are-you-doing-this kind of way. He basically enables her whole shopping spree just to keep the charade going.

I found myself wondering if anyone in this house actually talks to each other. They spend so much time performing for one another that it’s exhausting. It’s like watching a weird, high-stakes game of telephone.

• The acting is very… big.
• Lots of dramatic hand gestures near doorways.
• I’m still not sure if the husband is dense or just terrified of his wife.

There’s a strange energy to the pacing. It drags in the middle, then suddenly everyone is sprinting toward a resolution that feels like it was tacked on because the film reel was running out. It’s not quite as charming as Tanned Legs, but it has a certain frantic pace that keeps you awake.

I caught myself thinking about the lighting in the living room scene. It’s weirdly bright, almost like they’re being interrogated, which actually fits the theme of the movie pretty well. Is she losing her mind or just the most patient troll in history?

By the time they reconcile, I was mostly just tired for them. Pretending to have amnesia sounds like way too much work just to buy a new lamp or a coat. But hey, to each their own, right? 🍺