Monsieur Sans-Gêne: A very awkward first date

Is this worth your time?

If you like old French comedies that run on pure, high-octane misunderstandings, you’ll probably have a good time with Monsieur Sans-Gêne. If you’re the type of person who needs a logical reason for two people to fall in love—besides a dark room and a massive lapse in judgment—you might want to skip this one.

It’s a light, breezy bit of fluff. Don’t expect a The Divine Woman level of drama here. It’s just people being silly for an hour or so.

The theater scene

The whole movie hinges on that opening bit in the cinema. It’s honestly kind of uncomfortable to watch, which I think is the point? Fernand is just sitting there, feeling bold, and then the lights come up. The look on his face is priceless, though he doesn't just run out the door like a sane person. He doubles down.

The way he tries to play it cool while being clearly terrified is... a choice. I’ve seen similar high-stakes romantic confusion in A Kissless Bride, but this one feels a bit more frantic.

There’s a lot of running around after that. The script moves fast. Maybe too fast, really. You barely get to know these people before they’re deciding the rest of their lives based on a mistaken identity.

Oddly specific details

• The cinema chairs look incredibly uncomfortable. How did anyone sit through a whole feature film?
• The side characters seem to exist only to look confused at Fernand.
• The pacing in the second act is wild. It’s like the editor was in a massive hurry to get to lunch.

I found myself wondering if this story would even work today. You try to accidentally kiss a stranger in a movie theater in 2024 and you aren't getting a marriage proposal. You're getting a security guard and a ban from the premises. But back then? It’s treated like a romp.

It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Up a Tree, where things just sort of happen to the characters whether they like it or not. Fernand is definitely a "Monsieur Sans-Gêne"—a guy without a care, even when he should probably be feeling a little bit of shame. 😅

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s barely a "film" in the way we talk about them now. But for a rainy afternoon? It works. Just don't think about the logistics of it too hard. The movie certainly didn't.