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6.4/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.4/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Insult remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like movies that feel like a stage play taped on a rainy Tuesday, sure. It’s got that specific, dusty 1930s vibe where everyone is always wearing a suit and looking slightly annoyed at the person sitting next to them. If you’re looking for fast pacing or, you know, a plot that doesn't rely on people being stubbornly quiet about their problems, you’re going to hate this.
Seriously, nobody just talks. They circle each other for an hour. It’s exhausting, but in a way that I kind of weirdly enjoyed.
The lighting in the office scenes is bizarre. There’s this one lamp in the corner that seems to be flickering, or maybe it’s just my eyes playing tricks after staring at the screen for too long. Nobody mentions it, but it’s right there, pulsing away while the characters argue about things that shouldn't matter.
The pacing is… well, it’s not pacing. It’s just people walking into rooms, pausing, and then saying something passive-aggressive. It reminded me a bit of the tension in A Fly in the Ointment, though maybe a little less focused on the actual stakes.
There is a scene near the middle where a character drops a glass. It doesn't break. It just hits the floor with a dull thud that sounds totally wrong, like the sound person forgot to add the shattering effect. It’s a tiny, stupid detail, but it’s the only thing I remember about that entire fifteen-minute stretch.
The actors are working overtime to make the dialogue feel natural, but sometimes it sounds like they’re reading off a menu of insults. It’s stiff. It’s very stiff. At one point, I thought about switching over to watch The Sporting Venus instead, just to see something with a little more sunlight, but I stayed put. There’s a strange, magnetic quality to watching a disaster unfold in slow motion.
It’s not a masterpiece. It’s not even close. But it’s got that weird charm of a film that was clearly made by people who cared, even if they didn't quite know how to make the audience care with them.
Don't overthink it. Just watch the way they stand when they’re angry. It’s hilarious.