Romancefest 2017: Trouble in Paradise

I was excited going into 1932's TROUBLE IN PARADISE because it was directed by Ernst Lubitsch. I've previously seen TO BE OR NOT TO BE, NINOTCHKA, HEAVEN CAN WAIT and THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER, and they're all great, so I was glad to get another Lubitsch film finally watched.

A few moments into TROUBLE IN PARADISE I started to wonder if Wes Anderson's a fan of Lubitsch, by any chance. We start with a  couple con aritsts (Herbert Marshall and Miriam Hopkins) each attempting to con the other by posing as nobilitiy, only to realize they're both trying to rip each other off, and then falling in love with each other out of mutual respect for their con artistry. Marshall's performance along with a complex exterior shot using miniatures to complete a camera move made me wonder about Anderson, and after the movie was over I read up on it and realized my hunch was correct: this flick was an inspiration for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL.

Anyway, the two con artist lovers move on to take advantage of Kay Francis as a famous perfume manufacturer living in Paris. While she's preoccupied with two would-be suitors (Edward Everett Horton and Charles Ruggles), Marshall works his way into her trust as her secretary and then gets to work diverting tons of cash to her safe so they can then break in and steal it.

Of course Hopkins begins to wonder if Marshall is falling for Francis, the two suitors become suspicion of Marshall, and everything gets all mixed up and crazy. It was fun to see Edward Everett Horton yet again. It seems like his distinctly recognizable face pops up in pretty much every flick from the 30s, from SWING TIME to ARSENIC AND OLD LACE.

But the real scene-stealer is Marshall in the lead. His deadpan delivery, posh accent, and gentlemanly demeanor all stand perfectly counterpoint to his slimy intentions and humorous remarks. He approaches con artistry almost as if it is simultaneously beneath him and an inescapable part of his being – as if he's addicted to it, but better than it at the same time. I guess that's what makes him charming, and reminds me so much of Ralph Fiennes in GRAND BUDAPEST.

Really, the romance takes backseat to the capers and comedy here, but you wouldn't care half as much about what happens to Marshall and Hopkins if you weren't first charmed by their meet cute and then rooting for their unorthodox union to hold strong.