Frau Eva wird mondain! Is a bit of a headache

Is this worth your time?

Honestly? Probably not, unless you’re deep into German cinema history or have a very specific craving for 1930s relationship melodrama. If you like snappy banter and films that don't take themselves too seriously, you’ll probably find this one a bit of a slog. It’s for the folks who enjoy those old black-and-white comedies where people stand in drawing rooms and make stiff gestures for two hours.

Who will hate it? Anyone looking for a fast pace or a story that actually goes somewhere meaningful. It’s very talky. Very, very talky.

Notes from the couch

• The pacing is a bit like a Sunday afternoon when you’ve run out of coffee. It just... hangs there.
• There’s a specific scene involving a tea set that lasts long enough for me to have folded my laundry.
• The way characters deliver lines feels less like a conversation and more like they’re waiting for a train to arrive.

Watching Frau Eva wird mondain! feels like being the third wheel on a date where the couple is trying way too hard to look sophisticated. They keep trying to become 'mondain'—or fashionable/worldly—but it mostly just looks like they’re wearing hats that are slightly too big for their heads. 🎩

It reminds me a little bit of the vibe in The Cousin from Nowhere, where everyone is obsessed with appearances, though this one lacks that extra bit of charm. There's a lot of running around in circles. The friends who offer advice are particularly grating. Why do these people have so many friends willing to ruin their marriage? I wouldn't trust any of them to watch my house, let alone my love life.

One reaction shot of Hilde Krüger lasts so long that I started wondering if the projectionist had fallen asleep. It’s funny, in a way. You can almost see the gears turning behind the actors' eyes as they try to remember if they left the stove on back home. It's not a disaster, but it's not exactly essential viewing either.

If you're comparing this to something more experimental like The Mysteries of the Chateau de De, this feels ancient by comparison. It’s trapped in its own era, clutching its pearls and worrying about social standing. Maybe just watch it for the costumes if you’re bored on a rainy Tuesday.