Les Tutti-Frutti: A Messy, Bouncy Little Trip

Is Les Tutti-Frutti worth your time today? If you’re a fan of old, scratchy French comedies that move at the speed of a caffeinated squirrel, sure. If you need a plot that actually goes somewhere, skip it. You will probably hate this if you get annoyed by characters who yell constantly or if you need the film to have a clear beginning, middle, and end.

The whole thing feels like it was put together in a rush, but there’s a certain reckless energy that’s hard to hate. Renée Passeur is doing a lot of heavy lifting here, and by 'a lot,' I mean she’s basically vibrating through the entire screen. It reminded me a bit of the frantic pacing in Studenter i Paris, though this one has way less charm.

There’s this one scene in the middle involving a dining table that goes on for way too long. The chairs are constantly being moved, people are talking over each other, and you can tell the extras are just waiting for the director to yell cut. It’s awkward, but kind of funny in a 'why are they doing this?' sort of way. 🤷‍♂️

Honestly, the writing by Georges Sénamaud feels like he was making it up while holding a glass of wine. It’s not exactly L'ira in terms of emotional depth, but it’s not trying to be. It’s just a noise machine.

Odd Little Bits

• The background music keeps cutting out in the middle of sentences.
• One of the actors clearly forgets his line and just starts laughing. They kept it in!
• The hat choices are, frankly, questionable at best.

It’s weirdly similar to the vibe I got from Great Scott!—just a total fever dream that probably made sense to the people making it at the time. It doesn't have the polish of modern stuff, but that’s the point, isn't it? It’s not trying to impress you. It’s just trying to fill the hour.

Don't look for a lesson here. Don't look for a masterpiece. Just watch it for the weird rhythm and the way the costumes seem to change colors every time the camera cuts. It’s a strange, dusty little relic.