Toi, c’est moi (1936) - A weirdly fun French musical mess

Look, if you’re in the mood for something that feels like a warm, slightly dusty blanket from 1936, Toi, c'est moi is a solid choice. It is one of those old French musicals where everyone seems to have way too much energy for ten in the morning.

It’s definitely worth a watch if you like that specific brand of fast-talking European comedy from before the war. If you hate movies where people solve every problem by singing a catchy tune, you will probably want to throw your remote at the wall.

The whole thing starts with Bobby and Pat. They are basically professional party animals living off Bobby’s aunt, Honorine.

I love the aunt. She’s played by Odette Barencey and she has this permanent look of disgust like she’s constantly smelling sour milk whenever the boys are around.

She decides they need some "discipline" and ships them off to the West Indies. To a sugar-cane plantation she owns.

The Big Swap

The boys decide the best way to handle this is to swap identities. It is such a tired trope, but honestly, Jacques Pills and Georges Tabet make it work because they actually look like they are having a blast.

They have this chemistry that feels real. Probably because they were a famous duo in real life at the time.

Once they get to the island, the movie stops being a city comedy and turns into this weird tropical fantasy. The sets are so obviously built on a soundstage in Paris, but I kind of prefer that to actual locations sometimes.

It gives the whole thing a dreamlike, fake quality. Like a play that someone accidentally filmed.

The plantation manager is played by Saturnin Fabre. He is the best part of the movie, hands down.

He has this way of barking his lines like he’s trying to scare the camera. His eyes bug out, and he moves his hands constantly. It is very high-energy acting that would be annoying if it wasn't so funny.

He reminds me a bit of the frantic energy you see in Everybody Dance. Just total chaos whenever he is on screen.

The Music and the Vibes

The songs are... okay, they are earworms. I’ve had the main theme stuck in my head for three days now. It’s annoying but also kind of great?

There is this one scene where they are all dancing near the sugar cane. You can see one of the extras in the back who clearly doesn't know the steps. He’s just kind of bobbing his head and looking at the person next to him for clues.

I spent five minutes just watching him. It felt more human than the lead actors doing their perfectly choreographed bit.

The romance subplots are a bit of a mess. There are so many of them by the end that I actually lost track of who was marrying who. It’s like the movie just decided everyone needed a partner before the credits rolled.

It’s a bit like A Broadway Butterfly in how it just shoves people together for a happy ending.

I noticed the film quality gets a bit grainy during the outdoor shots. Or what are supposed to be outdoor shots. The lighting doesn't always match between the close-ups and the wider angles.

It’s a bit messy. But it’s a good kind of messy.

• The aunt's hats are ridiculously large.
• The identity swap leads to some actually clever dialogue bits.
• Saturnin Fabre is a national treasure.
• The ending is basically a giant wedding party.

One reaction shot of Bobby looking confused goes on for about four seconds too long. It becomes funny because of the silence. I don't think it was supposed to be a joke, but I laughed anyway.

Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it better than most of the stuff that came out of the same genre back then? Yeah, probably.

It doesn't try to be important. It just wants you to watch some guys be idiots in the sun for ninety minutes. 🌴

If you've seen things like Putting One Over, you know the vibe. Just light, airy, and gone from your brain the second it’s over.

I did find myself wondering how they kept their white suits so clean on a plantation. They are literally surrounded by dirt and sugar, but they look like they just stepped out of a dry cleaner. Magic of cinema, I guess.

Anyway, it’s a fun time if you can find a decent copy of it. Just don't expect it to change your life.