Marry the Girl: A Frantic Mess at the Newspaper Office

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, only if you have a soft spot for 1930s slapstick and office comedy tropes that haven't aged a day. If you prefer your movies to have a coherent plot or characters who don't just shout over each other, you should probably skip this one. It's loud, it's fast, and it feels like it was written in a single caffeine-fueled weekend.

The whole thing takes place at a newspaper syndicate that seems to employ absolutely zero professional journalists. It's just a collection of oddballs, like John B. Radway, who is essentially a cartoon character in a suit. Watching these people interact feels less like a workplace drama and more like a fever dream.

David Partridge, played by Hugh O'Connell, is the guy trying to keep the ship from sinking. He’s the only one who seems to realize how ridiculous everyone else is. I felt bad for him, honestly. He’s just trying to get through the day while everyone around him is acting like they’ve never been in a professional setting before.

The subplot with the psychiatrist, Dr. Stryker, is just bizarre. He signs contracts in ways that don't make sense, and the scene where they try to get him to commit to the syndicate went on forever. It felt like the writers just threw in a psychiatrist character because they needed a reason for more dialogue. It’s not great, but it’s definitely something.

There's a weird rhythm to this one. It moves so fast you can't even tell if a joke landed or if you just missed it because the next person started yelling. It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in A Little Journey, where you feel like you're trapped in a room with people who have too much energy and nowhere to put it.

• That one scene with the cartoonist on the water wagon is painful to watch.
• The dialogue is basically just people tripping over each other's sentences.
• Nobody seems to work at this newspaper. Like, ever.

Virginia Radway is the love interest, but she's barely a person. She's just an obstacle for David to navigate. And the guy she's supposed to marry, Dimitri Kyeff? He’s so over-the-top it’s almost impressive. He’s like a caricature of a caricature.

The movie doesn't really try to be smart, which is a relief. It’s just trying to get from one punchline to the next. Sometimes it works! Other times, you’re just watching people run in circles. If you like classic Hollywood chaos, you’ll probably find something to chuckle at. Just don't go in expecting a masterpiece.