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5.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Paris Interlude remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like your movies dripping with 1930s sentimentality and characters who make the absolute worst decisions possible, then yeah, pull up a chair. If you’re looking for a sharp, modern script that respects your brain, you’re going to be frustrated by how often everyone just stands around looking miserable while the plot drags its feet.
Honestly, the whole thing feels like a high-budget soap opera that forgot to have a coherent ending. It’s not great, but it’s not exactly torture either. 🤷♂️
The Paris sets are clearly just studio backlots, and they know it, too. There’s a scene where Julie is just staring out a window, and the background looks like it was painted by someone who had never actually been to France. It’s kind of endearing in a weird, dusty way.
Madge Evans does her best with the material, but the script really wants her to be the ultimate victim of circumstance. It gets a little exhausting watching her pivot from one man to the next like she’s choosing a hat for the day. Cassie, on the other hand, is the only one who seems to be awake, even if she is busy playing god with everyone else’s love life.
The whole 'Sam is dead' plot device is tired even for the time, but the actors sell it with such earnestness that you almost forget how dumb the setup is. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in Easy Work, just with less humor and more weeping into silk handkerchiefs.
I don't know, maybe I just have a soft spot for these old melodramas. You know how it is, sometimes you just want to watch people make mistakes in black and white. Don't overthink it, because the movie definitely didn't. 🎬
