DbcultAccessing Vault...
6.5/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.5/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Ladies Must Love remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, if you enjoy movies that feel like a quick, punchy play from the early 1930s, then yeah, go for it. It is light, it is fast, and it does not overstay its welcome. But if you get annoyed by characters who make consistently terrible life choices for the sake of a punchline, you are probably going to hate this.
There is something inherently fun about the premise. A group of Broadway hopefuls signing a legal-looking contract to share their future earnings? It feels so desperate and mechanical at the same time. It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Jazz and Jailbirds, even if the stakes here are all about diamonds and furs rather than actual prison time.
The pacing is all over the place, which I kind of loved. Some scenes feel like they are rushing to the next punchline, while others just hang there, letting the actors chew on the scenery. There is a moment where one of the girls is trying to act sophisticated for a suitor, and the silence in the room is just deliciously awkward. It felt like the camera was left running for two seconds too long, which usually ruins a movie, but here it just added to the charm.
The dialogue is snappy, but sometimes it sounds like it was written by five different people on five different days. Which, looking at the credits list, is probably exactly what happened. Too many cooks, right? Still, you get these little flashes of genuine wit that make you stop scrolling on your phone and actually pay attention.
I found myself zoning out during the scenes with the wealthy playboys. They all kind of blend into one generic suit-wearing guy. But whenever the girls are together, bickering over their little contract or plotting their next move, the movie hits a stride. It is not exactly high art, but it does not pretend to be either.
It is definitely not as iconic as The Wizard of Oz, obviously. It is smaller, meaner, and way more obsessed with how much a guy makes a year. It is a time capsule, really. A very shiny, slightly hollow, and genuinely funny time capsule.
I would say watch it with a drink in hand. It is not a movie that demands your soul. It just wants a lazy hour of your time. Don't think too hard about the contract stuff—it makes no legal sense and the movie knows it. That's part of the fun, I guess. 🍸
IMDb 5.8
1920
Community
Log in to comment.
