Une nuit de folies: A dusty, frantic mess of a night

Is this worth watching today? Only if you have a massive soft spot for early sound-era slapstick and don't mind when the audio quality sounds like it was recorded inside a tin can.

It’s a movie for people who like to see actors run through hallways for no reason. If you’re looking for something grounded or logical, you will probably hate every single second of it. 🥴

The whole thing feels like it’s held together by duct tape and sheer willpower. Fernandel is doing the heavy lifting, obviously, but the script feels like it was written on a napkin during a very loud dinner party.

There is a sequence midway through that goes on for about three minutes too long. You can literally see the supporting actors waiting for their turn to walk into the frame.

The vibe check

• The pacing is erratic.
• The jokes are mostly just people being loud.
• The background extras seem to be in a completely different movie.

It’s not quite as charming as Crainquebille, which had a bit more heart behind its grittier aesthetic. Here, everything is just shiny and frantic.

I found myself staring at the wallpaper in the background during the third act. It was peeling in a way that felt more interesting than the actual argument happening in the foreground.

One reaction shot of Fernandel lingers so long that it stops being funny and starts feeling like a dare. I lost. I eventually laughed.

Is it a masterpiece? Hardly. Does it feel like a fever dream from 1934? Absolutely. It’s got that specific, slightly dusty energy you find in movies like The Plumber's Daughter, where the chaos is the point rather than the narrative.

Don’t look for deep meaning. Just look for the moments where the actors almost break character. There are plenty of them if you blink and miss the subtitles.

Honestly, the best way to watch this is with the sound low and a drink in your hand. It’s a total mess, but it’s a committed one. 🍷