Le roi bis: A weird little comedy from another time

Is this for you?

Look, if you are the type of person who digs through archives to find movies that haven't been talked about since the invention of the internet, you might find something to like here. If you need pacing that feels like a modern thriller or snappy, sarcastic dialogue, stay far away. This is for the patient viewer who doesn't mind when the plot feels a bit like a game of musical chairs played in slow motion. 👑

It’s a light, slightly silly story about identity swapping. Truda Grosslichtová is doing some heavy lifting here. She has this way of looking at the camera like she knows the whole setup is a bit ridiculous, which honestly helps a lot.

Notes from the couch

• The lighting in the palace scenes is oddly moody for a comedy.
• I swear the same background prop appears in three different rooms.
• The silence between the jokes is sometimes louder than the punchlines.

There’s a scene about halfway through where everything is supposed to be high-stakes, but the way the actors bump into the furniture makes it feel like a local stage play. It’s kind of endearing, actually. It feels human, unlike some of the polished stuff coming out of the big studios these days.

If you liked the vibe of The Flying Circus, you might appreciate the chaos here. It's not the same, but it shares that DNA of people just trying to make it through a weird day without losing their minds.

I found myself zoning out during the long walking sequences. Why do they spend so much time walking down hallways? Maybe it was to fill the runtime. Still, there’s a genuine sweetness to the whole mess that kept me from turning it off.

The dialogue is… dated. Let’s just say that. Some lines land, but most of them just sort of float in the air waiting for someone to laugh. It reminds me a bit of the awkwardness in Skomakarprinsen, where you can feel the director trying to find the rhythm of the scene while the actors are already two steps ahead.

Ultimately, it’s a weird little artifact. Don't go in expecting a masterpiece. Just take it for what it is: a shaky, black-and-white attempt at making people chuckle back when the world was a very different place. 🎞️