Two Good Comrades: A weird, dusty WWI caper

Is this worth a watch?

If you like old, grainy movies where everyone seems to be acting just a little bit too loud, you might find something to love here. It’s definitely not for the people who need a tight, modern script that explains every single motivation in the first ten minutes. If you’re a fan of historical oddities, it’s a weird little gem. If you’re looking for a serious war drama, you will probably be annoyed by how goofy the whole thing gets.

The premise is honestly kind of wild. Two German soldiers just decide to play dress-up in American uniforms? The sheer audacity is almost funny. It’s like a precursor to the kind of stuff you see in The Jazz Bug, only with more trenches and way more awkward romantic tension.

The vibe

There’s this moment where they’re trying to look like they belong in the American camp, and it’s just so painfully obvious they don’t. You can see the doubt in the eyes of the other soldiers, but they just sort of let it slide because, hey, it’s a movie. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in Hot Water, where everything is falling apart but everyone is acting like it’s just a Tuesday.

The French village setting feels oddly empty. Like, did everyone just go inside for lunch? It gives the whole thing a stage-play feel that’s either cozy or cheap, depending on how much coffee you’ve had. I found myself staring at the background extras more than the main characters. One guy in the back is just eating something out of a tin for like, three straight minutes. It’s hypnotic.

The dialogue is… well, it’s there. It’s not winning any awards, but it does the job of getting them from one scene to the next. Sometimes it feels like they’re making it up as they go along, which honestly makes it more interesting than some of the polished stuff coming out today. It lacks the slickness of A Woman's Heart, but it makes up for it by being totally unapologetic about how silly it is.

• The uniforms look like they’ve seen better days.
• The romantic subplot is basically just two guys bumping into each other a lot.
• I’m pretty sure one of the village houses is just a painted sheet.
• The ending comes out of nowhere, like a train that forgot it was supposed to stop at the station.

It’s not a masterpiece, and it’s not trying to be. It’s just two guys being idiots in a uniform, trying to win a girl. Sometimes, that’s plenty. It’s certainly more fun than sitting through something as dry as The Arm of the Law. Take it for what it is and don't overthink it. 🥨