The Sentimental Bloke (1932) review: Dusty, creaky, and weirdly lovely

If you are up for some dusty, crackling 1930s cinema that feels like finding an old postcard in an attic, The Sentimental Bloke is actually a sweet little watch. Anyone who loves early talkies or weird historical slang will have a blast, but if you need slick pacing or can't stand scratchy audio, you will probably want to skip this one.

The story is pretty simple. Bill is this tough-talking guy who just got out of jail, and then he sees Doreen on a street tram and his whole world flips upside down. 🐨

She works at a pickle factory. Honestly, the scene where they meet is just so awkward in that real-life way where neither person knows what to do with their hands.

Bill is played by Cecil Scott, and he has this face that looks like it was carved out of a potato. But in a really nice, expressive way!

He spends half the movie looking like he is about to cry or punch someone, sometimes both at once. It is a very raw kind of acting that you don't see much anymore.

The way they talk is the real star here. It is all "cobber" and "sheila" and phrases I had to look up twice on my phone while watching.

If you have seen American pre-code films from this era, like The Doorway to Hell, you might expect a lot of fast-talking gangsters and gunfights. But this Australian vibe is much slower, almost gentle in its weirdness, even when people are throwing punches in back alleys.

There is this one scene in a theatre where Bill and Doreen go to see Romeo and Juliet. Bill's commentary on Shakespeare is easily the best part of the whole thing.

"This Romeo guy is a bit of a softy," he basically says, though in much thicker slang.

He gets so worked up about the play, acting like it is a real street fight happening right in front of him. I laughed out loud at his confused face during the tragic tomb scene at the end.

The camera does not move much. It mostly just sits there, watching people talk like they are standing on a theatre stage.

Sometimes the microphone seems like it was hidden inside a heavy wooden box. You can hear this constant background hiss, but somehow it just makes the whole experience feel more cozy. 📻

And the music! It just blares out of nowhere during the emotional parts, totally drowning out the actors for a second or two before fading back down.

It is not a masterpiece, and the second half drags a bit when they move to the countryside. It gets a little too wholesome and preachy for its own good once the farming starts.

But still, there is something incredibly genuine about how much Bill wants to be better for Doreen. You can feel the sincerity leaking through the screen, even through all the scratches on the film print.

A few random things I wrote down in my notebook:

• The uncle's mustache is so big it looks like it has its own postcode.
• Doreen's mother has this glare that could freeze a boiling kettle from across the room.
• That one guy in the pub who just stares directly at the camera lens for three seconds too long.
• The absolute obsession with hats in every single frame. Seriously, nobody is bare-headed. Ever.

It is a bumpy ride, but if you have some patience, this bloke will absolutely charm you.