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Cult Review
Senior Film Conservator
Honestly, only if you're the kind of person who enjoys watching film history collect dust. If you want something snappy or modern, run far away. Fans of old Dickens adaptations might find something to love here, but if you're looking for a thrill ride, you're looking in the wrong decade.
It’s funny how movies like Le grillon du foyer just sort of exist in their own bubble. There’s no rush to get anywhere. The pacing feels like a Sunday afternoon that refuses to end. It’s not necessarily bad, just… very, very patient.
Mona Cartier is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. You can see her trying to anchor the whole thing while the sets feel like they might wobble if someone sneezes too hard. It reminded me a bit of the stiff, earnest energy in Anna Christie, though without the same level of star power pulling the strings.
There’s a scene involving the toymaker that just drags on. I caught myself looking at my phone, not because I was bored, but because the silence in the room was so thick it felt like I was actually there. It’s an odd sensation. Most films nowadays are so busy screaming for your attention that this almost feels like a relief. Even if it is a bit dull.
It’s definitely not on the same level as, say, Ecstasy when it comes to visual storytelling. But it doesn't want to be. It wants to be a stage play that someone accidentally left the cameras running for. There’s a strange charm to that, I guess? Or maybe I’m just tired.
If you watch this, prepare for a lot of people talking in rooms. Sometimes they look at each other. Sometimes they look at the wall. It’s all very 1933. I don't know, maybe I'm being too hard on it. It’s just so quiet compared to the usual noise we consume every day. 🦗
Year
1933
IMDb Rating
—
Editorial
Deciphering the legacy of transgressive cult cinema.
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