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4.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 4.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Girl in the Tonneau remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, only if you have a soft spot for old, frantic slapstick that doesn't quite know when to quit. If you hate characters who make every possible wrong choice, stay away. This one is for the folks who like watching people run in circles while holding loaded rifles.
The whole premise is classic sitcom fuel. Ethel is sixteen and totally fed up with her father’s matchmaking schemes. The guy he picks is one of those 'Lothario' types—you know, the kind who thinks he’s much smoother than he actually is. Watching him try to impress anyone is honestly kind of painful. 🙄
Once they all end up at that hunting lodge, the movie just goes off the rails. It stops being about a romantic rivalry and starts being about who can handle a shotgun with the least amount of common sense. There’s a scene where they’re all just pacing around the living room that lasts way too long. I think I counted four different people tripping over the same rug.
It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in The Old Homestead, though this one lacks that weird rural charm. It’s mostly just people yelling over each other. At one point, I’m pretty sure an extra in the background just gives up and starts eating a sandwich while a major argument happens right behind him. I rewound it twice to check. Yep, he’s definitely eating.
The dialogue is… well, it’s fast. Maybe too fast. Sometimes the jokes land, but more often they just sort of evaporate into the air. You can almost feel the writers trying to force the 'jealousy' angle down your throat. It’s heavy-handed. Like, we get it, he’s mad. You don’t need to have him throw his hat on the floor three times in one minute.
I wouldn't call this a masterpiece or anything close. It’s barely a movie, really. It’s more of a collection of loud noises wrapped around a thin plot. If you’re looking for something deep, go watch The Jury of Fate or something else that actually tries to say something. But if you just want to see some vintage chaos? Maybe give it a shot while you do your laundry.
The ending comes out of nowhere, too. It’s like they ran out of film and just decided that the next thing to happen should be the end. No closure, just a hard cut to black. I laughed, but I think that was just because I was confused.
IMDb —
1923
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