Les surprises du cinéma parlant: A weird little time capsule

Is it worth your time?

If you're a film history nerd, yes. If you need a plot that actually moves, skip it. This is strictly for people who find the history of cameras and microphones more interesting than, say, The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog. It's a curio, plain and simple.

The vibe is mostly chaos. It feels less like a finished movie and more like a bunch of people in a room trying to figure out how to use new gear. There’s this one scene where they’re fumbling with the recording equipment that goes on for way too long. You can literally see the actors waiting for a cue that never comes.

Robert Arnoux is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. He has this frantic energy, like he’s terrified the microphone is going to bite him. It’s funny, mostly because it’s so damn clumsy.

Small observations from the back row:

• The microphones are huge. They look like giant tin cans dangling from the ceiling.
• The background extras in the studio scenes look like they’d rather be anywhere else.
• Some of the sound sync is so off it’s almost impressive.

It’s nowhere near as polished as something like Sorrell and Son. It’s scrappy. It feels like someone just turned the camera on and hoped for the best. Sometimes that’s enough to keep you watching, even when the script is thin.

I found myself wondering if they knew how dated it would look. Probably not. There's a certain charm to the desperation of it all. It’s like watching a silent movie star learn how to talk in real-time, and honestly, it’s a bit of a train wreck. But a fun one.

Don't expect a deep dive into the human condition. Don't expect any fancy camerawork. It’s just people shouting into machines and hoping the lights don't go out. 🎥