Les galeries Lévy et Cie: A dusty, weird family comedy

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, unless you have a weird itch to see 1930s French retail drama, probably not. If you love early talkies that feel a bit like a stage play stuck in a department store, you might get a kick out of the bickering. If you want something that moves fast or makes sense, stay away.

The whole premise is built on this inherited fortune, but the brothers spend more time yelling than actually running a shop. It feels like The Clients of Aaron Green but with more hats and way more shouting.

The vibe

The pacing is all over the place. Sometimes it feels like a sitcom, other times it’s just people walking through aisles looking confused. There is this one scene where the fake cousin walks in, and the camera lingers on his face for way too long. It’s almost funny how uncomfortable everyone looks.

It’s not as polished as The Undesirable, which at least had a bit of a pulse. Here, the drama feels like it’s being dragged by a rope. You can tell they were trying to be clever with the inheritance twist, but it lands with a thud.

• The fake cousin is honestly kind of a clown.
• The store sets look like they’re about to fall over if someone sneezes.
• The dialogue is mostly just people repeating the name "Lévy" over and over.

I found myself looking at the background extras more than the main actors. There’s one guy in the back of the store who just keeps folding the same scarf for three straight minutes. It’s mesmerizing in a bad way. 🧣

Don't expect a masterpiece. It's just a dusty artifact. Sometimes you just need to watch a movie that has no business being as serious as it thinks it is. Anyway, back to the archives.