Miquette et sa mère: A messy, charming trip to Hollywood

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, only if you have a soft spot for 1930s French comedies that don't quite know where they're going. It’s light, it’s breezy, and it feels like it was filmed on a breezy afternoon when everyone had somewhere else to be. If you get annoyed by characters who make decisions just to keep the plot from falling over, you’re going to hate this.

Miquette is the kind of girl who makes every man in a ten-mile radius act like a complete fool. The Marquis, his nephew, and a wandering actor—all of them are tripping over themselves. It reminded me a bit of the romantic headaches in A Scrambled Romance, though with a lot more French countryside atmosphere.

The pacing is… well, it’s loose. Sometimes scenes just sort of end because, I guess, they ran out of things for the actors to say. There is this one moment where the gossip gets so heavy you can practically hear the director yelling at the background extras to look more scandalized. It’s not subtle, but it’s kind of funny.

Hollywood dreams

The whole pivot to Hollywood feels like a fever dream. It’s such a giant leap from a tobacco shop to the world of movie stars, and the film doesn't really try to make it feel grounded. It just happens. Boom. Now we’re off to the races.

It lacks the emotional weight of something like Sunrise, but then again, it’s not trying to be a masterpiece. It’s just trying to be a distraction. Sometimes that’s all I really want on a Tuesday night. 🍿

I found myself wondering if anyone on set actually knew what Hollywood looked like, or if they just imagined it was a giant stage with lights everywhere. The way they handle the transition is so clumsy that I kind of loved it. It’s like watching someone tell a story they only half-remember.

• The costumes are surprisingly sharp for such a chaotic story.
• There’s a cat in the third act that clearly wasn't directed at all.
• The dialogue has that snappy, stage-play rhythm that feels a bit dated but still works.

It’s not a film that will stick with you for weeks. You might finish it and immediately want a glass of water and a nap. But for an hour or so? It’s just fine. It’s not trying to be anything more than it is, which is a rare thing these days. 🤷‍♂️