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Cult Review
Senior Film Conservator
If you have about an hour and you want to see what French people thought was hilarious in 1929, Embrassez-moi is worth a look. It’s perfect for anyone who likes those old comedies where the plot is 10% story and 90% people running around in circles. If you can't stand theatrical acting or plots that could be solved by one honest conversation, you will probably hate this movie with a passion.
The whole thing kicks off with a kiss. It’s not even a particularly good kiss, but it’s poorly timed, which is the worst kind of kiss in a movie like this.
Suddenly, you have all these aristocrats in Paris losing their minds. They are terrified of losing their dignity, which is funny because they have none left by the second act.
I noticed that the actors seem to be competing for who can move their hands the most. Eliane Tayar is especially good at looking like she’s just seen a ghost every time a door opens.
It’s a bit like Flaming Youth but without the flappers and with way more confusing family trees. I actually had to rewind a bit because I forgot who was married to who.
The writing team had about four different people on it, including Tristan Bernard. You can tell because the jokes feel like they were written by a committee that was all drinking wine at the same time.
There is this one moment where Charles Prince looks directly at the camera for a split second. I don’t think he was supposed to do that, but it’s the most honest moment in the whole film.
It makes me think of The Right to Lie, mostly because everyone in this movie is a terrible liar. They are so bad at it that it becomes endearing after a while.
The pacing is very weird. It starts at a hundred miles an hour and then just... stops for a bit while two guys talk about their shoes. Then it explodes again.
I liked the costumes, though. The hats are absolutely massive, like they’re trying to hide secrets under them.
Suzanne Bianchetti is in this too, and she always looks like she belongs in a much more serious movie. Her eyes are doing so much work while everyone else is doing slapstick.
It’s not quite as visually interesting as something like Vendémiaire, but it’s not trying to be art. It’s trying to be a mess, and it succeeds at that.
Humor is a weird thing when it’s this old. Some of the physical bits still work, like when someone trips over a rug they’ve already walked over five times.
But the social stuff feels very dated. Who cares this much about a kiss in a hallway anymore? Nobody.
Still, the energy is infectious. You can tell the cast was having a lot of fun, or at least they were being paid enough to pretend they were.
The the ending is a bit of a letdown. It just kind of resolves itself because the movie ran out of film, I think.
It doesn't have the grit of A Wall Street Tragedy, but it's a nice palette cleanser if you've been watching too many heavy dramas. It’s light. It’s airy. It’s kind of stupid in a way that feels intentional.
I found myself wondering if they ever actually ate the food on the tables. It looked very plastic. 🥖
If you see it on a streaming list, give it twenty minutes. If you aren't laughing at the mustache by then, you can turn it off and you won't miss much.
One reaction shot of a butler lingers so long it becomes funny for the wrong reasons. He just stands there while the world falls apart behind him.
Actually, the butler is the best character. He’s the only one who doesn't seem to be sweating through his shirt.
Anyway, it's a decent example of late silent era French comedy. Just don't expect it to change your life or anything. 🎬
IMDb —
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