DbcultAccessing Vault...
5.7/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.7/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Men Call It Love remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like watching well-dressed people pace around rooms looking stressed, sure. If you need a movie that moves faster than a turtle in molasses, skip it. This is definitely for the crowd that enjoys classic, slightly stiff melodrama where the stakes feel both incredibly high and totally trivial at the same time.
The whole premise hinges on this bachelor who is just drowning in his own convenience. He’s juggling affairs like he’s bored with his life, which, honestly, he probably is. It’s the kind of movie where people talk around their problems for forty minutes instead of just saying, 'Hey, maybe don't sleep with your friend's wife.' 🙄
Adolphe Menjou is doing that thing he does—being very suave, very polished, and kind of oily. You can tell he’s the guy who thinks he’s the smartest person in the room. He usually is, which makes him even more annoying to watch.
There’s a scene about halfway through where someone is fixing their cufflink. It lingers for way too long. I’m pretty sure the actor forgot his next line and just decided to commit to the jewelry adjustment for ten solid seconds. It’s those tiny, accidental moments that make old movies feel weirdly human.
The dialogue feels like it was written by someone who has only ever heard people talk in fancy ballrooms. It’s not how human beings actually sound, but it has this weird, rhythmic charm. It’s like listening to a record skip in a very polite way.
It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in The Grim Comedian, but with way less actual comedy and a lot more pouting. Nobody here looks like they're having fun, which is probably the point, but it makes the runtime feel like it’s doubling every time someone sighs.
If you’re looking for something that captures the specific, trapped feeling of high-society boredom, you’ll find it here. Otherwise, it’s mostly just people in nice suits making terrible decisions. I found myself checking my watch, then checking my phone, then looking back up and realizing they were still talking about the exact same affair. Classic.
IMDb —
1930
Community
Log in to comment.
