Man of the Moment: A messy, charming relic from the past

Is it worth your time?

If you like old British comedies that don't quite know if they want to be a serious drama or a farce, you might find this one weirdly charming. If you need tight pacing and logical character motivations, you’ll probably hate it. It's definitely a 'watch on a rainy afternoon when you don't care about plot holes' kind of movie.

There's this moment early on where Mary is just… well, she’s trying to end it all, and Tony swoops in with all the grace of a guy who just wants to be the main character in his own life. It’s played so casually. Like, 'Oh, you’re jumping off a bridge? Let me take you home instead.' It’s jarring.

The whole thing feels like it’s being held together by duct tape and Fairbanks’ charm. His fiancée Vera is the classic 'rich person who gets mad at the wrong thing' trope. You can practically see her steam coming out of her ears when she finds out about the girl in the house. It's so over-the-top that I actually laughed out loud.

Some of the supporting cast are clearly just there to fill the frame, though. There's a guy in the background of the casino scene who keeps looking at the camera. I don't know who he is, but I bet he was just hoping to get paid. Classic.

It’s not as sharp as Convention City, which really knew how to lean into the chaos. Man of the Moment feels a bit more unsure of itself. Like, it wants to be funny, then it wants to be a romance, then it wants to be a gambling thriller. It’s kind of a mess, honestly.

Bits and pieces

• The casino scenes are surprisingly low-energy for a movie about risking everything.
• The dialogue sounds like it was written by three different people who didn't talk to each other.
• I’m still thinking about that one coat Fairbanks wears. It’s a bold choice.
• Sometimes the actors look like they’re waiting for someone to yell 'Cut' before they even finish their lines.

Is it a masterpiece? Absolutely not. Is it better than Swing High? Maybe in some weird, specific ways. It’s just one of those movies that exists, and sometimes that's enough.

I wouldn't go out of your way for it. But if you stumble upon it while scrolling, you could do worse. Just don't ask me to explain the ending, because I'm still not entirely sure what happened. 🎲