I watched Tonight-Eventually and I'm still thinking about the hats

Is this worth your time?

You should watch Tonight-Eventually if you have a soft spot for silent movies where everyone looks like they are having a minor panic attack. It’s great for a lazy Sunday when you want to look at pretty sets and not think too hard.

If you hate reading title cards or find 1920s humor too goofy, you will probably want to turn this off after ten minutes. It’s definitely an acquired taste. 🎻

The Vibe

The first thing I noticed was how much energy is on the screen. It’s like the director told everyone to drink six cups of coffee before the cameras started rolling.

It doesn't feel like a museum piece, even though it’s nearly a hundred years old. It feels messy and alive.

Some of the scenes in the ballrooms feel a bit crowded. Like, I’m pretty sure some of the extras didn't know where they were supposed to stand. 💃

It reminds me of that feeling in The Uneasy Three where the plot is just an excuse for people to be weird.

The People in the Movie

Johannes Riemann is the lead, and he’s fine, I guess. He has that very specific 'handsome leading man' face from the 20s that looks a bit like a doll.

But the real reason to watch is Sig Arno. His face is made of rubber.

There is this one moment where he reacts to a piece of news and his eyebrows almost fly off his head. It’s hilarious and probably the highlight of the whole thing for me. 😂

Then you have Otto Wallburg. That man is a force of nature.

He’s got this way of moving his hands that makes it feel like he’s constantly trying to catch a fly. It’s distracting but in a good way.

Small Things I Noticed

The lighting in the indoor scenes is actually pretty cool. There’s a lot of shadows that make the rooms look way bigger than they probably were.

I noticed a guy in the background of one scene who just stared directly at the lens for like five seconds. I wonder if he got in trouble for that.

The clothes are just... wow. The women’s hats are basically structural engineering projects.

It made me think of Honey, mostly because of how much effort went into the costumes versus the actual story logic.

The Plot (Whatever that is)

The story is about music and romance, but honestly, I lost track of who was supposed to be in love with who halfway through. It doesn't really matter though.

The movie is more about the rhythm of the scenes. It flows like a waltz, which I guess makes sense given the subject matter.

There is a scene with a violin that goes on way too long. I think they wanted it to be emotional, but I just started looking at the wallpaper in the background.

It’s a very pretty wallpaper, to be fair. Lots of floral patterns.

It feels a bit like Playing with Fire in the way it handles these light, airy social situations. 🥂

Is it funny?

Humor from 1928 is hit or miss. Some of the physical comedy is still gold.

There is a bit with a ladder that made me actually laugh out loud. It’s simple, but it works because the timing is so perfect.

Other parts feel a bit dated. Like the jokes about being poor while wearing a tuxedo—I don't really get those.

It’s much better than Fast Company, which tried way too hard to be edgy for its time.

The Ending

The ending comes up pretty fast. One minute everyone is arguing, and the next minute, everything is fixed and people are smiling.

It’s not very realistic, but it’s satisfying in a weird way. You just want these people to be happy so the movie can end and they can go home.

I wish there was more of Jenny Jugo near the end. She has such a great screen presence and then she just kind of disappears into the background.

It’s a bit like Hearts and Spangles where the ending feels like they ran out of film and just decided to stop.

Random Thoughts

I wonder what it was like to sit in a theater in 1928 and watch this. It must have felt so modern back then.

The music they play now during the restorations is usually good, but I wonder what the original piano players did with the sad parts.

Some of the makeup is a bit heavy. Everyone has very dark eyes, like they haven't slept in a week. 😴

It’s a lot more fun than The Ladybird, which felt like it was dragging its feet the whole time.

Final Verdict

It’s a solid B-minus movie. It won't change your life, but it’s a fun way to spend an hour and a half.

Watch it for the faces and the hats. Especially the hats.

If you like this, you should probably check out Heut tanzt Mariett too, it has a similar kind of energy.

Anyway, that’s about all I have to say about this one. It was nice.