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5.2/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.2/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Millions in Flight remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a soft spot for 1930s-style romantic comedies where everyone wears fancy hats and talks in circles, you’ll probably have a decent time. It’s light, it’s fluffy, and it doesn't try to solve the world's problems. If you need grit, fast cuts, or anything resembling modern tension, you’ll be checking your watch by the twenty-minute mark. 🌊
The premise is classic: two people running away from an arranged marriage that sounds about as fun as a root canal. They both end up on this fancy cruise ship, and of course, they keep bumping into each other in the most contrived ways possible. It feels less like a real vacation and more like a stage play that someone decided to film on a boat. Sometimes the background extras look like they’re just waiting for the craft services table to open, which honestly, I get.
There is this one moment in the dining hall where a waiter drops a tray, and nobody reacts. I’m serious. The guy just stares at the floor while the actors keep reciting their lines right over the sound of breaking china. It’s hilarious. You start wondering if the director just said 'keep going, don't break character' or if they were all just too tired to reshoot.
The dialogue moves at a breakneck speed, typical of films from this era like Matri-Money or even the lighter moments in The Precious Parcel. It’s all puns and misunderstandings. Sometimes it lands, and you’re chuckling; other times it just feels like the characters are reading from a manual on how to be 'witty and charming.'
The ship interiors look like they were built out of cardboard and optimism. You can almost see the wires holding up the fake palm trees on the deck. It gives the whole movie this weird, dreamlike quality where nothing feels quite grounded. It reminded me a bit of the set design in Charity Castle, just with more cocktails.
The movie gets noticeably better once it stops trying to build the 'romance' and just lets the two leads be annoyed at each other. There is a scene on the deck that lasts about two minutes too long, and the silence starts to feel awkward rather than romantic. You can feel the actors waiting for their cue. It’s charming in a 'wow, they really didn't have the budget to fix that' kind of way.
Don't look for deep character growth here. People are who they are because the plot needs them to be. One minute they’re furious about the marriage, the next they’re dancing like they’ve known each other for years. It doesn't make sense, but it doesn't really have to. It's just a ride.
I wouldn't call this a masterpiece or even essential viewing. But if you’re looking for something to watch on a rainy Sunday when you don't want to think too hard, it fits the bill. Just don't go in expecting the complexity of an Oliver Twist adaptation. It’s just a boat, a marriage, and a whole lot of running around in circles. 🚢
IMDb 6.1
1931
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