At the Club (1899)
*** (out of 4)
Wonderful Absinthe (1899)
** (out of 4)
Two more early films from Alice Guy and the Gaumont Studios. AT THE CLUB features a group of men sitting around a table playing a game when a fight breaks out. WONDERFUL ABSINTHE has a drunk getting bumped from behind when, sure enough, a fight breaks out. The best of these two films is certainly AT THE CLUB as there's an all around innocent feel to it that really comes off as if Guy is having some fun showing what she perceives to be what happens to men at these clubs they go to. On that level the film is pretty funny as nothing much happens but the way the fight breaks out makes for a nice laugh. The second of the two films is pretty bland and I have to wonder if it was a one-shot production because it appears a lot of the action takes place off camera. While watching the film I wondered if this is what Guy wanted or if the actors simply missed their mark and did their thing off the frame.
*** (out of 4)
Wonderful Absinthe (1899)
** (out of 4)
Two more early films from Alice Guy and the Gaumont Studios. AT THE CLUB features a group of men sitting around a table playing a game when a fight breaks out. WONDERFUL ABSINTHE has a drunk getting bumped from behind when, sure enough, a fight breaks out. The best of these two films is certainly AT THE CLUB as there's an all around innocent feel to it that really comes off as if Guy is having some fun showing what she perceives to be what happens to men at these clubs they go to. On that level the film is pretty funny as nothing much happens but the way the fight breaks out makes for a nice laugh. The second of the two films is pretty bland and I have to wonder if it was a one-shot production because it appears a lot of the action takes place off camera. While watching the film I wondered if this is what Guy wanted or if the actors simply missed their mark and did their thing off the frame.