Calling Love’s Surprises a tepid comedy would be an understatement. Writer-director-star Linder fails to understand the very basics of drama, which puts the whole short in the dumps right off.
It opens with a dinner party. The three men at the party all run off to grab hidden flowers for a girl. Unsurprisingly, they’re all courting the same girl. Only, Linder never establishes why the men are sneaking out or why they wouldn’t admit association with her.
I guess the comedy’s supposed to be in the girl hiding them around her room in closets, pianos or just under a blanket… but it’s not funny. Surprises only comes alive at the end when the girl’s friend shows up and they abuse the hiding men.
For the finish, one of the men apparently “buys” the girl (who isn’t present) from his chums.
Surprises successfully mixes unfunny, odd, discomforting and weird.
Not Recommended
CREDITS
Written and directed by Max Linder; released by Pathé Frères.
Starring Max Linder (Max), Lucy d’Orbel (Lili) and Georges Gorby.
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