The Little Pastry Shop: A chaotic, sugar-coated relic

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, only if you are in the mood for something that feels like an old, slightly frayed velvet curtain. You’ll probably love it if you enjoy vintage European farce where people walk through doors at the exact wrong moment. If you hate movies where the acting feels like it’s being projected to the very back row of a balcony, skip it.

The whole thing takes place in this tiny, claustrophobic shop. It feels less like a real place and more like a set that was built over a weekend by someone who really loves pastries. Everything is loud, and by loud, I mean the characters seem incapable of using an indoor voice.

Gyula Kabos is clearly doing the heavy lifting here. Every time he walks into the frame, the energy shifts, and you get the sense he’s the only one who knows the joke. Watching him try to navigate the cramped counter is a total highlight. It’s messy, but it’s kind of endearing in a 'did they even rehearse this?' sort of way.

Oddly specific observations:

• The pastries look incredibly dry. I don't think I'd eat a single one of them.
• There’s a background actor who spends about three minutes just holding a tray and looking confused. I wonder if they knew the camera was on them.
• The lighting in the corner of the shop is so weirdly yellow. It makes everyone look like they have a mild case of jaundice.

It’s not trying to be Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, that’s for sure. There’s no polish here. It has that scrappy, desperate energy you find in a lot of older local comedies. Sometimes it feels like they were making up the dialogue as they went along, which I happen to think is a feature, not a bug.

Don't expect some grand cinematic statement. It’s just a movie about a shop. People come in, they buy things, they get upset, and then they leave. It reminds me a bit of the frantic pacing in Way Up Thar, just with less scenery and more flour.

There’s a scene near the end where a tray of cakes gets knocked over. The sound effect they used for the 'crash' was definitely just someone hitting a wooden box with a hammer. It was so out of place that I had to rewind it twice just to laugh at it again. 🍰

If you’re looking for a perfect story, look elsewhere. If you’re looking to watch a group of people from a different time run around a room screaming about cakes, you’re in luck. Just don't blame me if you leave the film feeling a bit hungry or annoyed.