L'affaire de la rue Mouffetard: A very weird houseguest

Is this thing worth a look?

If you like old French comedies that move at a clip and don't care about the finer points of legal realism, sure. It’s basically a setup for a one-act stage play that decided to wander onto a film set. If you need explosions or a plot that makes sense by the hour mark, stay far, far away.

The whole premise is honestly kind of genius in a petty, annoying way. A lawyer works his tail off to save his client, and the guy just hates him for it. It’s a great reminder that sometimes doing the right thing is actually the worst thing you could possibly do for someone.

Raymond Cordy is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. His face is basically a map of annoyance. Every time the client opens his mouth to complain about being free, you can see the lawyer’s soul just exiting his body. It’s a subtle bit of acting in a film that is otherwise mostly just shouting and slamming doors.

The pacing is a bit frantic, which is fine, but it makes you miss some of the smaller details in the background. Like, why is the furniture in the apartment arranged so aggressively? It feels like the set designer was trying to make the characters look trapped even when they’re standing in the middle of a room.

It reminds me a bit of the chaos in Just a Pain in the Parlor, where the logic of the situation just spirals until everyone is miserable. Not that they’re the same movie, but they share that same DNA of 'people making terrible decisions for very specific, dumb reasons.' 😅

There is a moment near the middle where the lawyer is just staring at a stack of unpaid bills while his client hums a tune. No dialogue. Just the sound of a clock ticking and the realization that his life is ruined. That moment alone is worth the price of admission. It feels so grounded, unlike the rest of the film which feels like it’s vibrating at a frequency only dogs can hear.

The ending isn't exactly a surprise, but it feels earned in its own ridiculous way. It’s a slight, breezy thing. Don't expect to have your life changed, but you might walk away wondering if your own landlord is actually just waiting for a reason to move in with you. 🏠