Glamorous Night: A Bit Dusty, But Oddly Charming

Is this thing worth a watch?

Honestly, only if you have a massive soft spot for 1930s British musicals. It’s got that specific, slightly creaky charm. You’ll probably hate it if you have zero patience for plots that move at the speed of a sleepy turtle. It feels like a stage play that got lost on its way to the cinema.

The whole oil reserve subplot is just an excuse to get people shouting in fancy rooms. I kept waiting for someone to actually drill a hole, but nope. Just lots of stern men in suits talking about "the future of the kingdom."

The Gypsy Angle

The way they depict the gypsy community is... well, it’s a product of its time. Let's just say it’s highly stylized and not exactly grounded in reality. It feels like someone saw a postcard of a campfire and decided that was enough research. 🏕️

Mary Ellis carries a lot of the weight here. She’s got this intense, theatrical energy that makes the other actors look like they’re just waiting for their lunch break. When she sings, the movie actually wakes up for a minute. Then it goes back to people leaning against desks looking worried.

• The set design for the settlement looks like it was built out of cardboard and good intentions.
• Felix Aylmer is doing his usual "I am very important and slightly annoyed" act. It works.
• The lighting is surprisingly moody in a few scenes, almost like a noir flick broke in by mistake.

If you've ever seen The Green Goddess, you’ll recognize that specific brand of "old school drama" tension. It’s not quite as sharp, though. The pacing in Glamorous Night is a bit of a disaster. Some scenes linger way longer than they need to, especially the ones with zero dialogue.

There's a moment near the middle where the Prime Minister is just standing by a window, staring out. I counted. It was easily fifteen seconds of just... standing. I started wondering if the projectionist fell asleep.

It’s nowhere near as punchy as The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu, which at least knows how to keep the gears turning. This one feels like it's constantly apologizing for existing. Still, it’s not a complete waste of time if you’re bored on a rainy Tuesday.

Just don't expect a masterpiece. It's just a movie. A dusty, musical, slightly grumpy movie. 🎻