La joueuse d'orgue: A dusty relic of old-school melodrama

Is it worth the watch?

If you like movies that feel like a dusty stage play, you might dig La joueuse d'orgue. It is for the folks who enjoy old-fashioned storytelling where everyone has a giant, tragic secret.

If you need fast pacing or a modern look, you will probably hate this. It moves exactly as slow as you think it does. 🐌

The whole thing feels like it was filmed in someone’s living room, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It’s got that weird, grainy texture where the shadows seem to swallow the actors whole.

Odd little things

• The organ music is... a lot. Sometimes it feels like the instrument is screaming at you.
• I spent five minutes wondering why the lighting in the third act suddenly shifts from 'daytime' to 'pitch black' between two shots.
• The acting is very, very loud. Every gasp is a performance.

There is this one scene where a character is staring out a window for an eternity. The director clearly wanted us to feel the weight of their sadness, but I just found myself staring at a loose thread on their coat. It happens.

It’s a bit like watching No Trifling with Love, just with less charm and way more brooding. The movie tries so hard to convince you that this family crisis is the biggest thing in the world, but it mostly just feels like a loud argument at a dinner party you weren't invited to.

I kept waiting for the plot to actually breathe, but it just keeps running from one dramatic revelation to the next. It’s exhausting, really. 🎭

Still, there is something honest about how much the actors commit to the bit. They aren't winking at the camera. They believe every single line of this nonsense. That counts for something, I suppose.

Don't expect a masterpiece. Expect a movie that exists, takes itself very seriously, and then leaves you wondering where the time went. It’s fine. It’s just fine.