I Dream Too Much: A Strange Little Opera Movie

Is it worth watching?

If you have a soft spot for 1930s musical fluff, sure, give it a whirl. But if you’re the type of person who needs a lead character to be at least mildly likable, you might find yourself checking your watch. It’s definitely for fans of old Hollywood oddities. If you hate movies where the guy is basically just mad because his wife is better at her job than he is, skip it.

The whole premise is built on a guy being a total crumb. Jonathan Street wakes up married after a drunken night and basically treats Annette like an inconvenience. Henry Fonda does a lot of pouting here. It’s hard to tell if he’s supposed to be a tortured artist or just a guy who needs a nap and a reality check.

Annette, played by Lily Pons, has a voice that’s honestly pretty incredible. When she finally starts singing, the movie wakes up. It’s like the script was just waiting for her to open her mouth so it could stop dealing with Fonda’s moping. There’s a scene where she goes to see Paul, and the way the room shifts from 'bored professional' to 'total fanboy' is actually kind of funny.

The Paris scenes have that weird, painted-backdrop look that feels like a stage play stuck inside a movie. It’s not necessarily bad, just very clearly not Paris. You can almost see the dust on the props if you squint hard enough. 🍿

I couldn't help but think about how different this is from something like The Love Parade. That movie has a certain sparkle that feels totally missing here. This one feels a bit heavy-handed with the 'my wife is too successful' drama.

There's a moment toward the middle where they just kind of drop the plot about the music entirely. It’s like the writers realized they were bored of the composing angle and just decided to make it a pure opera showcase for a while. It’s disjointed, but honestly? It’s better for it.

Also, Lucille Ball is in this for a bit. It’s always a trip seeing her in these smaller parts before she became, you know, the Lucille Ball. She’s only on screen for a blink, but she’s got more life in her eyes than the lead actor has in his entire performance.

Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it weirdly watchable? Yeah, in a 'what was going on in the 1930s' sort of way. It’s not going to change your life, but it’s a decent way to spend a rainy afternoon if you don't mind the dated relationship dynamics.