Les petites alliées: A weird, old-fashioned detour

Is it worth your time?

If you have a thing for old French cinema that feels like it’s trying to be a moral lesson but keeps getting distracted by port-side antics, then sure, pull up a chair. People who hate 'damsel in distress' tropes will probably want to throw their remote at the wall about thirty minutes in. It’s not for everyone, especially if you get annoyed by how easily characters just decide their entire lives are solved by a wedding ring.

The whole thing starts with a girl just fed up with her 'good family' life. We’ve all been there, I guess? But she skips town and hits Toulon. The shift in tone from her fancy home to these port streets is pretty jarring. It feels like two different movies glued together with some very sturdy tape.

I found myself staring at the background extras more than the main plot. There’s this one scene in the port where a guy is just leaning against a post for way too long. He’s not doing anything. He’s just there. It’s distracting, but weirdly comforting in a way.

The Marine Officer situation

Then enters the marine officer. He’s the definition of 'decent guy saves the day,' which is a bit of a snooze. But watching him try to act like he’s not obviously head-over-heels for a girl who basically just wandered into his life by mistake? That’s where the actual acting happens. It’s subtle, maybe too subtle, but it works.

• The dialogue is very 'of its time'—lots of formal posturing.
• The port scenes have this nice, smoky atmosphere.
• I couldn't stop looking at the hats. Everyone had such specific hats.

It made me think a bit about Fräulein Chauffeur. Both movies have this way of putting people in situations that they aren't ready for, even if the outcomes are wildly different. It's like watching someone trip over their own shoelaces but trying to land in a graceful pose.

The pacing is a total mess. One minute we’re in a dramatic runaway sequence, and the next, we’re dealing with domestic issues that feel like they came from a completely different script. I don’t know if I’d call it 'good' per se, but it definitely feels like someone was filming their daydreams. It’s messy, a little bit dusty, and I didn't hate it. That’s probably the best review I can give. ⚓