The Saint and Her Fool: A Dusty Relic or Hidden Gem?

Is it worth the time?

If you have a thing for black-and-white period dramas that move at the speed of a snail, maybe. If you want something that actually moves, skip it. People who love historical costumes and over-the-top melodrama will probably get a kick out of it. Everyone else? You’ll be checking your phone after ten minutes.

It’s not exactly a thrill ride. It’s more of a long, slow walk through a very dusty library.

The Setup

We’ve got a princess. We’ve got an evil stepmother. The stepmother is basically a cartoon villain without the mustache. She spends her entire time scowling at doorways and plotting things that honestly don't seem to have much of a payoff.

The pacing is… well, it’s glacial. There’s a scene where the lead just stares out a window for what feels like a lifetime. I counted. It was at least forty seconds of nothing happening. Forty seconds.

The Vibe

Everything feels remarkably staged. It’s less like a movie and more like watching someone’s grandma re-enact a play in her living room. The actors are shouting their lines like they're trying to reach the back row of a theater that burned down in 1920.

It reminds me a bit of the slow, deliberate feeling in The Phantom of the Opera, but without the actual phantom to spice things up. Just a lot of people in puffy sleeves looking sad.

• The stepmother’s outfits are genuinely impressive.
• The dialogue is so formal it almost sounds like a different language.
• The lighting? Mostly just "bright" or "dim." No middle ground here.

Odd Moments

There is a moment near the middle where the princess drops a glove. She picks it up. Then she drops it again. The camera just stays there. It’s like the director forgot to yell 'cut' and the actors were too polite to move on. It’s honestly the most honest moment in the whole film because it feels so awkward.

It makes you miss the sharp, punchy rhythm of something like M. That film knew how to make a frame matter. This one? It just kind of sits there.

I don't know. Maybe it’s charming in a weird, antique way. Or maybe it’s just boring. It’s definitely not going to change your life, but it might help you fall asleep on a rainy Sunday. 😴