Quadrille d'amour: A bit dusty, but charming enough

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, only if you have a soft spot for 1930s fluff. If you want something gritty or fast-paced, skip it. You will probably hate it if you get annoyed by people talking in circles for an hour. But if you like a cozy, slightly messy black-and-white comedy, it might be exactly what you need on a rainy Sunday.

It’s a Quadrille d'amour, and the title really does tell you everything. It’s all about the dance. Characters keep bumping into each other in hallways, whispering secrets that get overheard, and creating problems that honestly could be solved with one honest conversation. But where is the fun in that?

Pierre Brasseur is in this, and he’s got that specific kind of energy—the kind that makes you think he’s always two seconds away from getting into trouble. He’s fun to watch, even when the script feels like it’s running in place. He’s just so jittery.

The pacing is a bit weird. It feels like the movie takes long breaks just to let the characters stand around and look confused at each other. Sometimes a scene ends and I wasn't even sure if they reached the point yet. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, just very... relaxed.

Small things I noticed:

• The wallpaper in one of the parlor scenes is distractingly busy.
• There is a moment where a hat nearly falls off, and they just keep going.
• The dialogue feels like it was written for a stage play, which makes sense given the era.

It’s not quite as sharp as something like The Jazz Age, which feels like it has a bit more bite to it. This one is more like a pleasant stroll. You aren't going to have your life changed, but you might find yourself smiling at a particularly silly misunderstanding.

Some of the supporting cast are clearly just there to fill the frame, which is a bit funny to watch. There is one scene near the middle where three people are arguing in the background, and I spent way too much time trying to figure out if they were actually acting or just waiting for their cue. Probably waiting for the cue.

The movie gets noticeably better when it stops trying to be a clever farce and just lets the actors be goofy. That’s when the charm finally clicks. It’s a very 1930s feeling, isn't it? Everything is soft around the edges. Nobody is actually in danger, and the worst thing that can happen is a broken engagement. That's a nice relief sometimes. ☕