65. Trouble In Paradise (1932)

Directed By Ernst Lubitsch

Synopsis

Two master thiefs meet and fall in love. They try to swindle a rich heiress only for the male thief to fall in love with the heiress and vice versa. They are found out and leave, realising they are right for each other.

Review

1932 is proving to be a great year for cinema indeed. Some of the innovation in camera movements has been lost with the passage to talkie, it's true, but a lot was won with dialogue, this is one of those films.

The dialogue is exquisite, the comical timing as well, it doesn't depend on physical comedy anymore, it is more refined and in this case extremely well achieved. Of course there are visual gags like the courting of the thief couple by robbing each other, but the funniest bit in that same courting is in the dialogue.

Again, as in most comedies of this era it is just a joy to watch, and in this case there is a certain soft touch of the aristocratic which makes it feel at the same time strangely screwball and refined.

Also, the actors are of course great, but not without a certain wink to the camera, done in appropriate deadpan. So it is another romcom, but not just another one, and that is why it is on this list, it is very expertly crafted. Buy it at Amazon UK or US.

Final Grade

9/10

Trivia

The courting scene, brilliant:



Wikipedia:

His next film was a romantic comedy, written with Samson Raphaelson, Trouble in Paradise (1932). Trouble in Paradise was popular both with critics and with audiences, but was made before the enforcement of the production code. After 1935, Trouble in Paradise was withdrawn from circulation and was not seen again until 1968. The film was never available on videocassette and only became available on DVD in 2003.