Les deux gamines: A dusty, dramatic relic

Is it worth watching?

Honestly, you probably shouldn't bother unless you’re deep into French film history. If you love 1930s melodrama, you’ll find it cozy. If you need something with a plot that moves faster than a snail, you’ll hate it.

This movie feels like a stage play that forgot to leave the theater. The performances are very theatrical, lots of big gestures and wide eyes. It reminded me a bit of the pacing in The Oyster Princess, though they are obviously very different films.

The vibe is... old

The whole thing has this grainy, lived-in feel. It’s not necessarily "stunning" like a restored masterpiece. It’s just... there. Some of the framing is actually quite clever, though I suspect that was more luck than design.

• The lighting in the parlor scenes is weirdly harsh.
• Alice Tissot steals every second she's on screen.
• The dialogue is so formal it almost sounds like a different language entirely.

There is a moment near the middle where the two girls are whispering in a hallway. It lasts for way too long. The silence becomes heavy, almost like the director didn't know how to cut away to the next scene. It’s awkward, but I kind of liked it.

I caught myself looking at the wallpaper in the background instead of listening to the lines. It’s faded, peeling in the corners. You don't see that kind of detail in modern movies where everything is cleaned up by a computer.

It’s not as gritty or real as People on Sunday, which really captured a vibe. This one is more of a studio creation. It feels polished in a way that actually takes away from the emotion, if that makes sense.

Anyway, I finished it. It didn't change my life, but I don't feel like I wasted an hour either. It's just a movie from another time. 🎞️