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5.7/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.7/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. For the Love of Mike remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Look, if you have a soft spot for 1930s British stage-to-screen fluff, For the Love of Mike is probably right up your alley. It’s light, it’s silly, and it moves like it’s in a hurry to get to the pub. If you need a movie to actually make sense or have characters who act like real human beings, steer clear. You’ll just spend the whole runtime wondering why nobody calls the police.
The whole thing feels like a vaudeville act that someone accidentally pointed a camera at. Bobby Howes is running around with this frantic, wide-eyed energy that’s either charming or exhausting depending on your mood. I couldn’t decide which.
It’s not quite as stiff as Pique Dame, but it certainly lacks the grit of something like Murder at Midnight. It’s its own weird, musical beast. The plot is basically an excuse for a heist that nobody really takes seriously.
I found myself zoning out during the dialogue but getting pulled back in whenever a song started. It’s like the movie knows its own script is nonsense and just wants to sing its way out of trouble. Very meta for 1932, if you think about it.
The pacing is all over the place. One second we’re in an office, the next we’re in some grand scheme to rob a safe. It doesn’t flow; it just jumps. It’s almost impressive how little the film cares about logic. 🤷♂️
Honestly, you could watch this while folding laundry and you wouldn't miss a thing. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a decent way to kill an hour if you want to see what people were laughing at nearly a century ago. Just don't expect it to change your life.