Ninety Minutes in Lisbon: A Piel-sized Mystery

Is this for you?

If you like old black-and-white mysteries that move faster than they should, you’ll have a grand time with Neunzig Minuten Aufenthalt. It’s got that specific 1930s charm where everything feels like it’s happening on a soundstage, even when it isn't. If you need tight logic or characters who make sensible decisions, maybe skip this one. You’ll just be annoyed by the coincidences.

Honestly, the whole setup is just a glorious excuse to get Harry Piel into a room with a mystery. The ninety-minute time limit is a total lie, by the way. It’s a ticking clock that forgets to tick most of the time.

The Lisbon Shuffle

Our heroes land in Lisbon and immediately find trouble. It’s less of a 'wrong place, wrong time' situation and more like trouble just lives in their suitcases. There is a weird, frantic energy to the way they stumble into Ilse Siebeck’s life. One minute they are waiting for a ship, the next they are playing private eye.

The murder of the uncle happens with such speed I had to blink twice. It reminds me a bit of the frantic pacing in The Secret of Madame Blanche, where plot points are treated like hot potatoes nobody wants to hold for long.

That Personal Vendetta

Finding out the killer is the same guy who offed Harry’s father? That’s a classic pulp move. It’s so convenient it’s almost funny. The movie doesn't dwell on the emotional weight of it, though. Harry just gets a steely look in his eye and moves to the next scene. No therapy here, just action.

• The dialogue is snappy, if a bit overly dramatic.
• The extras in the background seem to be having a much better time than the leads.
• There is a fight scene that lasts about three seconds too long, which is usually where these movies get interesting.

It’s not as polished as Monkey Business, but it has a rough-around-the-edges quality I kind of dig. You can tell the budget wasn't massive. You can practically see the glue holding the sets together in the wide shots.

Still, Harry Piel carries the thing. He has that effortless 'I know exactly what is going on even when the script clearly doesn't' look. It’s charming in a way that modern movies just don't capture anymore. 🕵️‍♂️

Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it worth watching for the weird pacing and the sheer commitment to the bit? Absolutely. Just don't ask me how they got from the harbor to that house so fast.