Review of Trouble in Paradise (1932) by Chris T — 04 Mar 2008

Ok, I'm tired of all this mishegoss about people only reviewing new movies that everyone has heard of. So I'm gonna rectify that by talking about movies that no one has heard of. And the perfect place to start is Ernst Lubitsch's 1932 TROUBLE IN PARADISE.

A smart, effervescent, and oh-so-witty tale of jewel thieves and their mark, TROUBLE IN PARADISE can't really be encapsulated by any sort of plot synopsis. There's only one filmmaker in movie history who could have made this film, and that's Lubitsch. In the 30s, he was one of the most famous directors with the general populace, almost on par with Frank Capra and, later, Hitchcock (and don't forget that part of Hitch's ubiquity came from his TV show and cameos in his movies). When you're Billy Wilder's hero and inspiration, you know you're doing something right.

Made in 1932, during the 1930-1934 "pre-code" years, TROUBLE IN PARADISE has a sauciness and maturity that aren't usually associated with Hollywood movies. This is a movie where, when she learns that she's been conned, Kay Francis doesn't over-emote, wallow in self-pity, or even alert the authorities, but instead accepts her fate with a world-weary grace that is endemic of the entire movie, as well as Lubitsch's oeuvre.

Lubitsch once said that he's been to Paris, France, and Paris, Paramount (as in the studio), and that he preferred Paris, Paramount. This movie provides evidence of why.