Théodore et Cie: A lot of costumes for a guy who just needs to talk

Is it worth your time?

If you are the kind of person who enjoys early French comedies where the plot is essentially a series of doors slamming and hats being swapped, you will probably get a kick out of Théodore et Cie. If you prefer your movies to have a coherent sense of stakes, stay far away. This is for the people who miss the sheer chaos of silent-era slapstick and don’t mind a bit of headache-inducing pacing.

The whole premise relies on the idea that Clodomir is a genius of disguise. He isn't. He’s just a man who really, really wants to know if his wife is having an affair, and he thinks the best way to do that is to dress up like a fireman. Watching him try to maintain a straight face while wearing a wig is the main draw here. It’s the kind of performance that feels like it’s being held together by duct tape and adrenaline.

The costume carousel

There is a specific moment where he cycles through three different disguises in under five minutes, and you can practically hear the director screaming 'faster!' from behind the camera. It’s frantic. Maybe a little too frantic? The transitions between him being a butler and then a priest are so jarring that I had to rewind just to make sure I hadn't missed a scene.

The bit where he dresses as a woman is, predictably, the peak of the absurdity. You can tell the actor is having a blast with it, even if the makeup looks like it was applied with a trowel. It’s not exactly high art, but it’s got a weird, frantic energy that reminds me of the manic spirit you find in something like Ella Cinders. They just don't make characters this desperate anymore.

The odd vibe

The supporting cast seems to be in a completely different movie sometimes. They play it so straight that Clodomir’s constant costume switching feels even more unhinged. It’s like watching a guy have a nervous breakdown while everyone else is just trying to have a nice lunch. 🎭

Is it a great film? No. It’s barely a sturdy one. But there’s something genuinely funny about how committed the movie is to this single, stupid idea. It doesn't try to be profound. It just wants to see how many hats you can put on a man before he falls over.

Also, the lighting in the 'fireman' scene is bizarrely dark. Like, why is the room so dim? It made the whole thing feel like a fever dream. Maybe that was the point? Probably not. It’s just the sort of thing you notice when you’re watching a movie that stops taking itself seriously about ten minutes in.