It is considered one of the top 100 films of all time. Honestly, I do not see why. A smart, witty romantic comedy, a cute movie for one watching, but really nothing special.6,5/10

Elegant and yet naughty, melodramatic and yet mocking, romantic and yet light, 'Trouble in Paradise' defies a simple description. It's an elevated pre-Code comedy that works as a film about grifting, a love triangle, and a farce, all at the same time. The film was made in 1932, but often feels more modern because of director Ernst Lubitsch's storytelling, creative use of cuts, and clever script. You feel the sophistication in the way characters speak and dress, but there is also plenty of pre-code innuendo and playfulness. Perhaps all of these contradictory things are why so many critics give up, and simply refer to it as having the "Lubitsch touch".Herbert Marshall and Miriam Hopkins are a couple of world-class thieves who meet in Venice and fall for each other's skill. They get jobs working for the rich heiress of a perfume company (Kay Francis), hoping to fleece her. Things get complicated when Marshall starts falling for Francis. It's a pretty simple premise, and I have to warn you, the film has better form than plot. There is not a lot of realism in Francis's utter disregard for money - how much she spends, how willing she is to delegate control, how little she cares when she's ripped off - but the film isn't meant to be realistic. With that said, there are some wonderful moments. Marshall is sly and evasive to questioning in the way known to all con-men, by turning questions around on the asker. Francis is absolutely electric in scenes in the second half of the film, leaving no doubt as to what she wants to do with Marshall. My favorite exchange between the two:Francis: "You like me. In fact, you're crazy about me. Otherwise, you wouldn't think about my reputation. Isn't that so? But incidentally, I don't like you. I don't like you at all. And I wouldn't hesitate one instant to ruin your reputation...(snaps fingers).. like that." Marshall: "You wouldn't?" Francis: "No, I wouldn't." Marshall: (snapping fingers) "Like that?" Francis: (snapping fingers again) "Like that." Marshall: "I know all your tricks." Francis: "And you're going to fall for them." Marshall: "So you think you can get me?" Francis: "Any minute I want." Marshall: "You're conceited." Francis: "But attractive." Marshall: "Now let me say..." Francis: "Shut up. Kiss me."The kiss is a bit antiseptic, with Marshall leaning in without opening his mouth in the slightest, but that dialog leading up to it, with their faces about two inches away from each other, and Francis's languid sultriness, is fantastic. Later, when Marshall asks her why she wants to leave, she says "Because I want to make it tough for you," with a perfect emphasis on the 'T' in tough. Lubitsch then shows them in the mirror as she says "We have a long time ahead of us, Gaston. Weeks, months, years", rapidly switching to another mirror and then their shadows on those last two words. It's brilliant.Lubitsch brings a European flavor to the film by including moments of humor in Italian, Russian, and German. Two other hapless suitors (Edward Everett Horton and Charles Ruggles) provide additional comic moments, such as when Horton whispers with Marshall about the harems ("all kinds") in Constantinople. There is what I think was an inside joke, as Marshall's character runs up and down the stairs, whereas in real life he lost one of his legs in WWI. I get the feeling that if I watched the film again, I might pick up on other little touches and witticisms. If the film had taken itself seriously in any one of the genres it dabbles in, I almost certainly would have given it a slightly lower rating, because it's good but not great when I think of those things in isolation. There is something about the whole, however, which is charming.As a postscript, here are a few other exchanges I enjoyed...Marshall: "Madame Colet, if I were your father, which fortunately I am not, and you made any attempt to handle your own business affairs, I would give you a good spanking - in a business way, of course." Francis: "What would you do if you were my secretary?" Marshall: "The same thing." Francis: (leaning back and smiling provocatively) "You're hired."Hopkins: "This woman has more than jewelry." Marshall: "Oh!" Hopkins: "Did you ever take a good look at her, umm." Marshall: "Certainly." Hopkins: "They're all right, aren't they?" Marshall: "Beautiful. What of it? Let me tell you something. As far as I'm concerned, her whole sex appeal is in that safe."

Before MPAA ratings, even before the Code, there were conventions and restrictions that Hollywood studios felt obliged to impose in the aftermath of scandals such as the Fatty Arbuckle rape case. Directors were forced to finesse matters of morality, and some succeeded better than others. Ernst Lubitsch succeeded best of all, and the German émigré's "Trouble in Paradise" may be the finest example.Consider the fact that the male lead, played by Herbert Marshall, seduces two women and at various times lives with them, without marrying either. Moreover, Marshall plays a professional thief ("walked into the Bank of Constantinople and walked out *with* the Bank of Constantinople") who hooks up with a lovely pickpocket (Miriam Hopkins); they conspire to swindle a wealthy and equally lovely perfume magnate (Kay Francis). In the hands of most directors, this would be the setup for a screwball farce. "Trouble in Paradise" is that, certainly, but so much more. It's a strikingly sophisticated comedy of manners in which love is mocked and sex is intimated in a dazzling variety of ways.Lubitsch and screenwriter Samson Raphaelson would later team up for the brilliant "The Shop Around the Corner" with Jimmy Stewart. It too is a comic masterpiece, but they could never surpass "Trouble in Paradise."

I am sorry if this sounds lame, but it is hard to describe exactly why this movie is so good. Of course, if you are familiar with Ernst Lubitsch it will come as no surprise, but as usual, Lubitsch manages to create a perfect blend of comedy and pathos, along with a health dose of the famous "Lubitsch touch" (sexual innuendo).Miriam Hopkins is delightful, Herbert Marshall is his typical suave self, and Kay Francis is lovely and enchanting.You will remember this movie, and keep repeating the lines, such as "and waiter, I don't want to see you at all".Please watch this movie!