Miche: A strange, dusty relic worth a look

Is it worth your time?

If you have a high tolerance for black-and-white films that move at the speed of a tired snail, sure. It’s for the folks who like digging through the bargain bin of history just to see if anything shines. If you need pacing, or, you know, a plot that makes sense by the second act, you will probably hate this.

There’s this one scene where Dranem is just… standing there. He’s doing this thing with his eyebrows that feels like it lasts for three years. I checked my watch twice. It was only thirty seconds. That’s the kind of movie this is.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Miche (1932) through its definitive frames.

Odd bits and pieces

• The lighting in the second parlor scene is weirdly aggressive. It’s like they found one lamp and decided to put it directly in the actors' eyes.
• Marguerite Moreno is doing some heavy lifting here. Honestly, she’s the only one who looks like she knows what movie she’s actually in.
• The sound quality reminds me of The Pinnacle Rider, where everything sounds like it was recorded inside a tin can during a windstorm.

I found myself zoning out and just watching the background. The wallpaper in that one bedroom is genuinely terrifying. Who chose that pattern? It’s distracting in a way that feels intentional, like the set designer was bored too.

There’s no grand message here. No deep dive into the human condition. It’s just people talking, arguing, and occasionally wearing hats that are just a little bit too large for their heads. 🎩

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Miche (1932) through its definitive frames.

Sometimes, the film stops dead to let a character deliver a monologue that doesn't really go anywhere. It’s like listening to an uncle talk at Thanksgiving. You want to walk away, but you’re stuck in your chair. It’s not great, but it’s kind of funny if you don't fight it.

I can’t recommend this to everyone. But if you’re like me and you enjoy movies that feel like a messy, unorganized scrapbook? You’ll find something to like. Just don't expect it to change your life.

It’s imperfect. It’s clumsy. It’s definitely not a masterpiece. But at least it doesn't try to be one. That’s worth something, right?