Checking out Les mariages de Mademoiselle Lévy (1936)

If you enjoy old French movies where everyone speaks at the same time, you'll find this one pretty charming. It is definitely for people who like vintage aesthetics and don't mind a plot that moves like a distracted turtle.

Most modern viewers will probably find the pacing a bit weird. It feels like a filmed play sometimes, which can be a bit much if you're used to things actually happening on screen.

The story is really just about Minouche Lévy and her family trying to figure out her wedding situation. Yvette Lebon plays her with a lot of energy, maybe too much energy at times. 😅

There is this one scene in the family shop that I really liked. The shelves are packed with so much junk that it feels like a real place, not a movie set.

But then the camera just stays there. It stays for so long that you start looking at the labels on the boxes instead of the actors.

Charles Lamy plays the father and he is probably the best part of the whole thing. He has this nervous habit of tugging at his vest whenever he’s annoyed. It’s a small touch that made him feel like a real dad.

I couldn't help but think of The Matrimonial Martyr while watching this. Both films treat marriage like a business deal involving a lot of paperwork and very little actual romance.

The humor is very loud. People in 1930s French cinema really loved to scream their lines when they were supposed to be being funny.

It’s not quite as sharp as something like Professional Sweetheart, which handles the 'fake romance' trope with a bit more bite. This movie is much softer and a bit more sentimental.

I noticed the sound was a bit fuzzy in the version I watched. Every time someone closed a door, it sounded like a small explosion. 💥

There is a subplot with a cousin that goes absolutely nowhere. I think he was supposed to be the comic relief, but he just mostly stands in the corner looking confused.

The movie gets slightly better once the wedding preparations actually start. The hats the women wear are massive. I don't know how they kept their necks straight with those things on their heads.

One reaction shot of the mother lingers for about five seconds too long. It makes the scene feel awkward rather than emotional, like the editor forgot to cut away.

It’s a much more pleasant watch than Flaming Love, which is just heavy for the sake of being heavy. This one at least tries to keep things light, even if it fails sometimes.

Is it a masterpiece? Not really. But it’s a nice window into what people thought was funny back then.

I actually stopped paying attention for a minute because there was a very cute cat in the background of a street scene. The cat didn't have any lines, but it was very professional. 🐈

If you're looking for a deep movie about the human condition, keep looking. If you want to see people in 1936 arguing about dowries while wearing fancy suits, this is exactly what you need.