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6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Strange Wives remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like movies where people talk over each other for an hour and a half while a guy looks increasingly stressed, you're set. It's not exactly deep, but it’s got a weird, frantic energy that kept me from turning it off.
Don't go in expecting something as heavy as The Crisis. This is strictly for when you want to watch a guy get completely steamrolled by a family of Russian aristocrats who just sort of… show up.
The premise is simple enough: boy meets girl, boy marries girl, boy finds out he actually married her entire extended family. They just keep appearing. One moment it’s just the two of them, the next there's a guy in a fur hat eating all the food in the pantry.
It’s the kind of premise that could have been a disaster, but the cast actually makes it work. There’s a scene where the sheer number of people in the living room feels like a clown car act. I counted four people trying to have a conversation while someone else was playing a violin in the corner. Why? I have no idea.
Specific notes from my couch:
It’s a bit thin in spots. You know exactly where it’s going from the first ten minutes, but the journey is kind of fun in an exhausting way. It reminded me a bit of the chaotic energy in Man About Town, but with more samovars and less jazz.
There's a moment toward the end where the protagonist finally just throws his hands up. You can practically hear the actor thinking, "Okay, I'm done." It’s the most honest moment in the whole film.
Ultimately—wait, I promised myself I wouldn't use that word. Let's just say this: the movie doesn't really have a 'message,' and it doesn't need one. It's just a snapshot of a guy losing his house to people who love him very loudly.
It’s fine. Watch it if you’re doing laundry or something. It’s got a good heart, even if it’s a bit messy around the edges. 🥂