Herz ist Trumpf: A Rom-Com with a bit of a identity crisis

Should you watch this?

If you like movies where everyone is constantly pretending to be someone else, you will probably have a decent time. It is a light, breezy watch that doesn't ask much of you. If you need grit or anything resembling reality, stay away. This is pure fluff, and honestly, it’s not trying to be anything else.

The whole "rich person pretends to be poor" trope is basically the bread and butter of these kinds of films. In Herz ist Trumpf, it happens twice at the same time. It feels a bit like watching two different movies trying to share the same lobby. The hotel setting is charming, though. It’s all polished wood and fancy uniforms.

Paulsen gets mistaken for a waiter by his old flame, which leads to a lot of awkward bowing and scraping. The actor plays it with a kind of stiff confusion that I found oddly endearing. There is this one shot where he’s trying to hold a tray while looking embarrassed, and the camera lingers for about three seconds too long. You can tell he’s just waiting for the director to yell cut. I love that.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Herz ist Trumpf (1934) through its definitive frames.

Toni’s storyline is a bit more dramatic, or at least it tries to be. Watching her struggle to scrub floors while acting like a regular maid is classic stuff. It reminded me a bit of the social maneuvering you see in The Fear of Poverty, though obviously way less heavy. She really wants to be loved for her personality, but the movie keeps reminding us she's rich. It’s a bit ironic, really.

The little things

• The background extras in the hotel lobby look like they are having a private party that has nothing to do with the main characters.
• The music swells up at the most random times.
• There is a scene with a telephone that feels like it lasts for a decade.

Is it better than Faint Heart? Maybe. It’s definitely less mopey. The dialogue moves fast, sometimes too fast, like the actors are trying to catch a train. There is a lot of door slamming. Everyone is always walking into the wrong room at the wrong time. It’s predictable, but in a way that feels like a comfortable sweater.

I wouldn't say this is a hidden masterpiece. It’s more like a pleasant afternoon spent in a place you’ve visited before. The ending is exactly what you think it is, but the journey to get there has enough weird little moments to keep you watching. Sometimes, that is all you need. 🏨✨