The Unrecognized Man of the World: A quaint, slightly messy Bavarian romp

Is this thing worth a watch?

If you like old Bavarian comedies with lots of doors opening and closing, you’ll probably find something to enjoy here. It’s light, it’s fluffy, and it doesn’t ask much of your brain. If you’re allergic to 1930s-style theatrical acting or characters who make decisions just to keep the plot from ending, you’ll likely spend the whole time checking your watch.

The whole premise hinges on our lead, this writer guy, who is just insufferably smug. He writes these love stories that are clearly just him patting himself on the back. Then comes this country girl who actually has some common sense. Watching her rip his ego to shreds in the first act is genuinely satisfying.

The pacing is a bit of a rollercoaster, and not in a good way. Sometimes a scene just sits there, like that moment in the garden where they talk about the weather for way too long. It’s like the director forgot to yell 'cut.' Then suddenly, we’re at a masquerade ball and everything happens all at once. It’s jarring, honestly.

Theo Lingen shows up and, as usual, he’s doing his own thing. He’s always fun to watch, even when the script doesn't really give him much to do. There’s a specific look he gives the camera during the party scene that made me laugh out loud. It’s the small stuff that keeps this from being a total slog.

I couldn't help but think about Happy You and Merry Me while watching this. Both films have that same frantic energy where people are constantly running around trying to fix misunderstandings that could be solved by just talking like normal human beings. But then, where would the comedy come from, right? 🙄

The masquerade sequence at the end is clearly where the budget went. There are so many costumes that it gets hard to tell who is who, which I think was the point, but it gets a bit exhausting. I think I counted at least four different people wearing the same type of feathered hat.

It’s not as charming as The Pride of the Force, but it’s got a weird, dusty kind of appeal. You can tell they were trying to make something elegant, but it feels more like a staged play that wandered onto a movie set.

• That one scene with the spilled wine is totally overacted.
• The music swells up at the weirdest times.
• The country girl has way more personality than the entire rest of the cast combined.
• I think I saw a boom mic shadow in the corner of the ballroom.

Ultimately, it’s a bit of a relic. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s not trying to be. Sometimes that’s enough.