Cult Review
Senior Film Conservator
If you like old-school French comedies where everyone is shouting or running through doors, you will probably get a kick out of this. It is breezy, light, and mostly harmless. If you need a movie with a deep, logical plot or a pacing that doesn't feel like a caffeine-fueled sprint, skip it. You will just be annoyed by how quickly Gisèle decides to deal with her stalker problem.
The premise is essentially a nightmare, right? You sign a hotel book and suddenly you’re legally bound to some creep. It’s the kind of misunderstanding that only happens in movies from this era, but it’s played with enough gusto that you stop asking questions about the legality of it all. Honestly, I stopped caring about the law around the twenty-minute mark.
The chemistry between the leads is... well, it’s loud. There’s a scene in the hallway where the lighting is so harsh it looks like they were filming inside a lightbulb. It’s charming in a slightly janky way. You can tell they were just trying to get the shot done before lunch.
I couldn't help but compare the frantic energy here to something like An Amateur Devil. Both films have that same sense of "let's just see how many jokes we can cram into this frame." It’s exhausting but weirdly fun.
There’s this moment where Gisèle reacts to the news of her marriage and it’s just perfectly dramatic in a way modern acting rarely captures anymore. She does this little spin, sighs, and then immediately starts plotting. No hand-wringing. Just action.
It’s not a masterpiece. It’s barely even a coherent story by today's standards. But sometimes, watching people trip over their own poor decisions in black and white is exactly what you need on a Tuesday night. 🥂
Don't look for hidden meanings. There aren't any. Just enjoy the chaos.

Year
1931
IMDb Rating
—

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Deciphering the legacy of transgressive cult cinema.
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