Paris (1929) - A clunky, charming relic of the early sound era

If you're the kind of person who gets annoyed by crackly audio and actors who look like they're afraid of the microphone, you should probably stay away from this one.

But for the rest of us who love a weird time capsule, Paris is a total trip. It’s perfect for a rainy afternoon when you want to see how movies struggled to find their feet in 1929. 🎥

The plot is pretty thin, honestly. Cora Sabbot, this very uptight lady from Newton Center, heads to France because her son Andrew wants to marry Vivienne, a stage star played by Irène Bordoni.

Cora is convinced Vivienne is a "scarlet woman" or something equally dramatic. She arrives ready for a fight but ends up getting a taste of the wild life instead.

I love how Bordoni carries herself. She has this massive energy that makes everyone else in the room look like they're made of cardboard.

Jason Robards Sr. plays the son, Andrew, and he is... well, he’s a bit of a wet blanket. He spends half the movie looking like he’s waiting for someone to tell him where to stand. 🧍‍♂️

There is this one scene in a hotel room where the shadows on the wall are just distractingly large. It feels like the lighting guy just gave up that day.

The music is where the movie actually wakes up. Cole Porter wrote for the stage version, and you can still feel that snappy, clever spirit in the songs even if the film quality is a bit rough.

It reminds me a bit of the awkward pacing in The Show, where you can tell the directors were still figuring out how to make people talk and move at the same time.

The Larry Ceballos Girls show up for these dance numbers that feel like they belong in a completely different movie. They’re great, but the transition is so jarring it made me laugh out loud.

I noticed one extra in the back of the theater scene who was just staring directly into the camera lens for like five seconds. It’s those little human mistakes that make these old reels so much fun to watch.

Cora’s transformation from a stiff Massachusetts mom to a woman drinking cocktails and wearing fancy hats is the best part. Louise Closser Hale plays the "drunk and happy" vibe perfectly.

Is it better than something like Low Tide? Hard to say, since they’re doing such different things, but this has way more feathers and sequins.

The ending feels rushed, like they realized they were running out of film and just decided to wrap everything up in two minutes. Everything just... resolves? 🤷‍♂️

You don't watch this for a deep story. You watch it to see 1929 trying to be modern and sexy while still being incredibly polite.

It’s a bit of a mess, but it’s a glittery, loud mess that doesn't overstay its welcome. If you can find a decent copy, give it a look just for the costumes alone.