The Worst Film Ever

A lot of fun.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

A gentleman thief and a lady pickpocket join forces to con a beautiful perfume company owner. Romantic entanglements and jealousies confuse the scheme.Ernst Lubitch is a legend, both of the silent film and of the comedy. He was a primary influence on Billy Wilder, who took his ideas and improved upon them. And "Trouble in Paradise" is one of those key films that made him a legend.The concept is pretty simple -- two people who con the wealthy out o their money and jewels. But what if one of them falls in love with their target? Does love trump money? How that question is answered depends on whether this is a romantic comedy or just a comedy... and who am I to give it away?

People who say they don't like Black and White movies have never seen a Lubitsch picture. His are just better than the rest. The dialog moves quickly and is wittier than anything being made today, the sexual tension is all over the film but is handled with class, and the audience is allowed to escape into a world of wealth and international travel. I watched my first Lubitsch movie about a month ago and 'Trouble in Paradise' will be number six. Like a copy of The Onion in a waiting room all of his films are pleasant surprises, and this maybe as much as any of them. A romantic comedy about jewel thieves, there is never a doubt in the audience's mind that the protagonist is a scoundrel, but at least a well meaning one. I would say anybody and everybody would enjoy this movie, so go into it without hesitation and ready to be blown away.

Why belabor what critics claim is a classic, so I'll simply summarize my reaction under brief headings.Elegant?- yes indeed. The studio's high-end wardrobe is deployed to the last cummerbund. Witty?- yes indeed. The bon mots are tossed off like pearls to the rabble.Sophisticated?- without doubt. For example. Sex- a game with no losers. Crime- a sleight of hand with no victims. Style?- So smooth, the camera slides over itself.Performances?- Everyone poses beautifully.Sum Total?- A European touch for the American masses.Audience Rating?-FTWO (For The Worldly Only)My Rating?- Two chuckles, no laughs, and a new appreciation for The Three Stooges.

The line "they don't make movies like that anymore" is one of the most overused in talking about pictures, but in this case it is true. This is a remarkable example of the sort of sophisticated, innuendo-laced light comedy that Hollywood was making until the Hays Code put an end to them. There is not one crude line; we never see anything sexier than a kiss, and they are far from torrid. But this movie implies sex, and more interestingly sexual intrigue and passion, throughout. The duologue is uniformly wonderful, with lines that you will never forget. I can't say there is any real substance to this picture. There isn't. But it is gossamer of the finest quality. Herbert Marshall, who usually strikes me as a cypher, here shows what made him so popular for awhile: he has a wonderful voice, which he can shape and mold to imply whatever he wants. Miriam Hopkins' charms still generally elude me, though she is good in the opening scene. Kay Francis is much more enjoyable here delivering double-entendres than in the sort of heavy parts she got assigned to too often. In short, everything is wonderful.I couldn't believe how fast this movie flew by. There was not a dead moment. This is not a celluloid masterpiece, another Citizen Kane or Les Règles du jeu. But it is one remarkable, sophisticated comedy. You will definitely enjoy it.-------------------------------I watched it again tonight, and still found it enjoyable. The dialog is clever, the tempo just right and never lags. As I wrote before, it's a piece of fluff, but a perfectly-paced, perfectly-acted one that will never let you down, even for a moment. Not as good as the Lubitsch movies with Chevalier and MacDonald, but still a fun hour plus.