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7.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Girl Friend of a Big Man remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like old-school theater drama and don’t mind things moving at a leisurely pace, you’ll probably find something to love here. If you’re the type who gets itchy when a movie spends ten minutes on a conversation that could have been an email, just skip it. This isn't The Big Broadcast, and it doesn't try to be.
Käthe von Nagy is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. She has this way of looking at the camera that makes you think she’s in on the joke, even when the dialogue is absolute nonsense.
The sets feel like they’re held together by tape and hope. I mean that in a good way. You can almost smell the dust on the velvet curtains. There’s one shot where the background actors are just… standing there. Like they forgot they were supposed to be pretending to work. It’s hilarious.
The plot is thin, honestly. It’s mostly just people walking into rooms and looking stressed about money. Every time they talk about bankruptcy, the music swells like the world is ending. It’s a bit much, but it works for the vibe.
It’s funny to compare this to something like Rich People. They share that same obsession with status, but this one feels much more grounded in the grime of a stage production. It feels less like a polished product and more like a captured moment of theater life.
Don't look for deep meaning here. It’s just a story about a lady saving a building. Sometimes a movie just needs to be a movie, you know? 🎭
The pacing is a total disaster in the second act. Everything just stops. But then you get a random, charming interaction between two minor characters and you forgive it. It’s uneven. It’s not perfect. It’s definitely a film from another time.
I kind of loved it for being so weirdly specific.
