When You're in Love: Cary Grant sings (sort of) and nobody knows what to do

Is this worth your time?

If you like Cary Grant looking confused while standing next to an opera diva, you'll probably have a decent time. If you want a movie that makes logical sense or feels like it has a consistent tone, you should probably skip it. It's a bit of a relic, but in that way that feels like finding an old postcard in a coat pocket you haven't worn in years.

Grace Moore is the whole show here. She’s got this massive, powerful voice that just doesn't fit the tiny rooms they put her in. There’s a scene where she sings Minnie the Moocher, and honestly, I had to double-check I was still watching the same movie. It’s wild. It’s weird. It’s the best part of the whole thing.

Cary Grant is just... Cary Grant. He’s doing the charm thing, but he looks like he’s waiting for someone to hand him a better script. He spends most of the runtime just sort of hovering near the furniture, waiting for the plot to happen to him.

The odd bits

• The pacing is frantic, then it just stops dead for a musical number.
• The chemistry is fine, but it feels like they’re acting in two different movies.
• Why is there a five-piece band just sitting there in the middle of a Mexican village? Don't ask.

The whole "marriage of convenience" bit feels so rushed. They get hitched for two grand, and ten minutes later, they’re acting like they’ve been married for a decade of misery. It’s silly, but it moves fast enough that you don't have time to be annoyed by it.

It definitely isn't as polished as Second Fiddle, which at least knows what it wants to be. Here, the director seems to be holding on for dear life while the actors just kind of go off and do their own thing. Sometimes that's a mess, but here, it’s just quirky.

Also, the ending. It’s so abrupt. They just stop the movie because they ran out of reasons for the characters to be mad at each other. It’s not profound, but it’s a nice enough way to spend an hour and change.

Don't overthink it. Just watch it for the weird musical numbers and the way the scenery looks like it’s made of painted cardboard. It’s a good time if you don't take it seriously. I sure didn't. 🎵