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6.1/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.1/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Don't Fool Yourself Dear remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, if you like old-school character studies that aren't afraid to be a little goofy, sure. Watch it. If you need everything to be grounded in gritty realism or need a high-budget spectacle, skip this one. It’s light, it’s breezy, and it’s about as far from a modern drama as you can get.
The premise is one of those classic setups that feels like it could have gone in ten different directions. A guy thinks he’s dying, so he throws out the rulebook. It’s funny how much more capable we feel when we think we’ve got nothing left to lose. It’s a mood.
There is this one moment where the lead character finally stops playing the polite neighbor and just lets loose. You can almost feel the air in the room change. It’s not necessarily a profound shift, but it’s satisfying in a way that feels honest to his character. 🍿
Sometimes the dialogue feels like it was written in a bit of a rush, but that gives it this weird, urgent charm. Like they wanted to get to the joke before the audience lost interest. It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in The Hoodlum, just without the same stakes.
There are definitely sections where the plot just sort of… wanders off. It’s not a bad thing, necessarily. It feels like the movie is just as tired of the 'terminally ill' trope as I am, so it decides to go get a drink instead. A lot of the supporting cast shows up and leaves just as quickly, which is either brilliant or just a scheduling conflict. I’m leaning towards brilliant.
It’s not as polished as Moulin Rouge, but that’s fine. It feels human. It feels like someone just wanted to put something on screen that made people smile for a bit. We could all use more of that. It’s not a masterpiece, and it doesn’t try to be. It just exists, and I think that’s enough. 🎬