Son Excellence Antonin: A tiny, dusty bit of old French charm

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, you have to be in a specific mood for Son Excellence Antonin. If you love old-school French comedies where everyone talks quickly and misunderstandings pile up like laundry, you’ll have a grand time. If you need pacing that feels like it was edited in this century, you are going to be bored out of your mind within ten minutes. 🕰️

It’s the kind of movie that feels like it was filmed in a library. Everything is quiet, polite, and just a little bit stuffy.

The Setup

Antonin is just a guy. He’s the person you wouldn’t notice at a bus stop. Then, because of some silly paperwork error, the world starts treating him like he’s a diplomat or a king or something important. It’s a very simple premise, and the movie doesn’t try to make it anything more than that.

I found myself watching the background extras more than the main actors at one point. There’s this one scene in a hallway where a waiter is holding a tray, and he looks like he’s terrified of dropping it. He’s just standing there, frozen, for a solid thirty seconds. It’s incredibly distracting, but also kind of endearing.

Small Observations

• The dialogue is sharp, but it feels like it’s being shouted from across the room.
• Sylvia Bataille is doing a lot of heavy lifting here with just her eyebrows.
• The costumes look like they were pulled out of a dusty trunk, which actually works for the vibe.

It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Paris-Soleil, though this one lacks the sun-drenched chaos. Everything here feels muted. Like someone put a gray filter over the entire production, even though it’s already black and white.

There’s a moment where Antonin walks through a doorway and trips—not a big pratfall, just a tiny little stumble. The camera doesn't even cut away. It just keeps rolling. It feels like an accident that they just decided to keep because they didn't have the budget to do it twice. I love that.

It’s not trying to be Patriotism. It’s not trying to be a deep dive into the human condition. It’s just a movie about a guy in a suit who isn't sure why everyone is bowing to him. Sometimes, that’s all I want on a Tuesday night.

The ending comes out of nowhere, too. It’s like the writers just realized they hit their page count and wrapped it up with a bow. Very abrupt. Very strange. I enjoyed it for what it was, even if I’ll probably forget the plot by tomorrow. 🎞️