Vogue, mon coeur review: A dusty French cruise that is mostly silly fun

If you have eighty minutes to spare and love old black-and-white French films where people talk at the speed of light, Vogue, mon coeur is worth a look. It is definetly not for anyone who needs high stakes, but if you want to turn your brain off and watch some rich people argue on a boat, you will probably smile a few times. 🚢

The movie starts with Ginette (Claude May) yelling at her mom. It is so loud and chaotic, I almost turned the volume down immediately.

But then Jim Ashbury gets dragged into the mess. He is the son of a very rich lord, played by René Lefèvre, who has this incredibly expressive face that looks like he is constantly smelling something slightly off.

Before you know it, they are on a cruise on the Mediterranean. The background footage of the water looks totally fake but in a very cozy, theatrical way.

I kept thinking about how this compares to other old-school comedies like Sally of the Subway. This one has a bit more French sass, though.

The Great Paranoia

The whole plot turns on Jim being absolutely terrified that Ginette is only after his money. It is kind of funny because she clearly does not care at all.

There is one scene where Jim stares at her purse like it might contain a contract to steal his soul. The actor lingers on this look for way too long.

Honestly, the dad (Lord Ashbury) is the best part of the movie. He is way more sensible than his son and basically has to shake some sense into him.

Strange Little Details

• The mom's hat in the opening scene is so big it practically has its own zip code. 👒
• Some of the dialogue sounds like the actors are trying to race each other to the end of the sentence.
• The sound of the ocean waves is clearly just a guy shaking a box of peas in the studio.
• Jim's pajamas are incredibly shiny. Like, blindingly shiny.

It is a very simple story and it ends exactly how you think it will. But the charm is there, even if the middle section drags a bit while they are walking around the deck of the ship.

Do not expect a masterpiece. Just enjoy the breezy, slightly silly vibes of a 1935 vacation.