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6.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Tonight Is Ours remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like movies where people in tuxedos say witty things while looking slightly pained, you will probably get a kick out of Tonight Is Ours. It’s definitely not for the people who need a car chase every ten minutes to stay awake. It is a bit old-fashioned, obviously, but there is a spark here that a lot of modern stuff just totally misses.
Claudette Colbert is just doing the heavy lifting here, and honestly, she’s great at it. She has this way of looking at Fredric March that makes you forget the script is basically a glorified soap opera. Sometimes she pauses just a second too long, like she’s thinking about how much she wants to quit the royal life and just go get a coffee, and it works.
The whole "I’m a princess but I’m bored" routine could have been insufferable. It really could have. But the movie has this weirdly casual energy. They aren't constantly reminding you about the politics of the kingdom, which is a relief. They just let the characters be messy.
There’s a scene in a restaurant that felt way too real for 1933. You know, that awkward silence when you realize you’re with someone who lives in a completely different world? It’s not profound, but it hit a nerve.
If you enjoyed the vibe of Opening Night, you might find some similar DNA here, though this is definitely lighter on the nerves. It’s not trying to solve the world’s problems, which is fine by me. Sometimes you just want to see a princess look confused by a bistro menu.
Is it perfect? Hardly. The pacing drags a bit in the middle, and I’m pretty sure I saw a prop fall over in the background of the garden scene. But it feels *lived in*. It feels like people actually cared about the chemistry, even when the plot was just moving pieces around a board.
I left it on for a bit after it ended. Just to see if it would get better on a second watch. It didn’t, but it didn’t get worse either. 🥂
