The Three Amateurs: A messy look at family habits

Should you watch The Three Amateurs? If you have a soft spot for vintage Argentine cinema or just enjoy watching a family slowly implode because nobody wants to do their actual job, then sure, pull up a chair. But if you need a tight, fast-moving plot or modern stakes, you are going to be checking your watch by the twenty-minute mark.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Three Amateurs (1933) through its definitive frames.

The whole premise is built on the concept of 'berretines'—these weird, all-consuming hobbies that keep the sons from showing up to the family business. It’s a relatable frustration, but the movie really leans into the gloom of it all.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Three Amateurs (1933) through its definitive frames.

Luis Sandrini is doing his usual thing here, which is usually enough to keep you watching even when the script starts to feel like it's dragging its feet. There’s this one scene where the father is just staring at a ledger, and the silence is so heavy you can practically hear the dust settling on the furniture. It goes on for a beat too long, maybe to emphasize the point, but it ends up feeling a bit like a stage play that forgot to call 'cut.'

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Three Amateurs (1933) through its definitive frames.

The dynamic between the brothers is where the movie gets a little chaotic. They aren't just lazy; they're aggressively committed to their own nonsense. It reminded me a bit of the aimless desperation you see in Outcast Souls, where the characters seem to be running away from their lives without actually moving an inch.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Three Amateurs (1933) through its definitive frames.

Little observations from the couch:

• The office set looks so cramped that I kept waiting for someone to trip over a chair.
• The dialogue gets really sharp when the father finally loses his cool, but then it just... stops. No big blow-out. Just back to the quiet.
• There’s a background character who keeps adjusting his tie in every single wide shot. It’s distracting once you notice it.
• The lighting in the living room scenes is weirdly yellow. Did they run out of lamps?

It’s not a film that tries to reinvent the wheel, and honestly, it’s better for it. It feels like a snapshot of a specific time in Buenos Aires, even if the family drama feels a bit repetitive after the first hour. It’s not trying to be The White Rose or some high-art masterpiece. It just wants to show you how a family can spend an entire afternoon arguing about nothing while the roof falls in.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Three Amateurs (1933) through its definitive frames.

Sometimes the movie feels like it’s trying to be a comedy, but then the tone shifts and it’s just sad. I’m not sure if that’s intentional or if the movie just couldn’t decide what it wanted to be when it grew up. Either way, it’s a strange little watch. 🎞️