Lady Barker (Marlene Dietrich) benignly ignored by her British diplomat (Herbert Marshall) sneaks off to Paris to visit an old friend running a fashionable salon where discretion is highly valued. There she meets a brash American Anthony Halton (Melvyn Douglas) and has a whirlwind affair with him before disappearing. Circumstance brings the two men together however and once revealed as rivals Barker is left with no option other than to decide who she will walk with.

One of Lubitsch's minor efforts from his Paramount period Angel is a well mannered romantic comedy that never raises its voice as adults behave like adults. Marshall and Douglas display charming civility with each other while the usually ice like beauty Dietrich supplies the right amount of hopeless romantic, strong woman to balance the trio. The usual stalwart Paramount supporting cast is in evidence with Edward Everett Horton, Edward Cossart, Herbert Mundin and Laura Hope Crews adding wit and humor to the proceedings while Lubitsch applies his famous touch of deft incidentals and open doors. The arrested passions and lack of high comedy however allows Angel to fly no higher than a mildly pleasant entertainment ably assisted by the grace and charm of its stars.

"Angel" was Marlene Dietrich's final film under her Paramount contract. It is the story of three rich and famous people who become involved with each other.

The film opens with Lady Maria Barker (Marlene) arriving in Paris under an assumed name. She goes to a high end brothel run by ex-Russian Grand Duchess Anna Dmitrievna (Laura Hope Crews) for some "entertainment". At the same time carefree bachelor Anthony Halton (Melvyn Douglas) is also there for the same purpose. They accidently meet when Tony mistakes Maria for the Grand Duchess and immediately is smitten with her.

After they discover the error, she agrees to go to dinner with him and they fall in love vowing not to reveal their true identities to each other. Tony the n dubs her "Angel". While buying her some flowers in a park, he turns to find her suddenly gone.

In London, we learn that Maria is indeed married to a stuffy career diplomat Sir Frederick Barker who is England's delegate to the League of Nations (remember them?) in peace talks with the world's nations to prevent another war. We all know how that turned out. In a chance meeting, Tony meets Sir Frederick and the two discover that they had "shared" the same young lady in Paris during WWI. Of course Sir Frederick invites Tony to his home.

At Sir Frederick's palatial estate, the inevitable meeting with Maria occurs. She at first tries to play dumb and convince Tony to forget their meeting. Of course Tony still is carrying a torch for her. Eventually, Sir Frederick becomes suspicious. On a planned trip to Geneva, foxy old Sir Frederick stays in Paris and goes to the Grand Duchess "house". Coincidentally Tony is there seeking out Maria. As luck would have it, Maria arrives. The three confront each other and Maria is forced to choose between the two and.........................................

Marlene is as gorgeous as ever in those expensive gowns and jewelry. Marshall is totally career oriented as her stuffed shirt husband and Douglas just emerging as a major star, is excellent as the lover. Edward Everett Horton is along as Barker's valet, Ernest Cossart plays the butler Wilton and watch for Laurel and Hardy foil Jimmy Finlayson as one of the servants.

Immediate promise of romance and flourishes of drama to flavor light humor and amusement: it's very easy to simplify 'Angel' to the most basic description - but also foolish. This is a wonderfully enchanting and entertaining picture, rich with detail in so many ways. The costume design of Travis Banton is exquisite and fetching, as well as the set design and decoration. Much credit to Charles Lang's vibrant cinematography that, in combination with fine lighting, only serves to further amplify star Marlene Dietrich's already irrepressibly radiant beauty and natural charm (as well as make every scene, generally, very pleasing to the eyes). And even these only just match the brilliant wit and intelligence of the adapted screenplay concocted between Samson Raphaelson and Frederick Lonsdale. 'Angel' distinctly declines the sort of robust comedy and absurdism that we recognize in many of director Ernst Lubitsch's other pictures, but in its stead we're treated to sharp cleverness in the craft of every word of dialogue, every character, and every scene. It's marvelously absorbing and immediately rewarding as a viewer, and just as fully engaging as any more outrageous romp or dire drama.

The very arrangement of each moment, on paper and on film, is bursting with such barely restrained anticipated tension, but is also so tremendously perfect, resonant, fluid, and organic that the picture could only be described as mellifluous in its presentation. And that quality is a fine reflection, of course, of the performances given by the cast. This goes for everyone, even Edward Everett Horton and Ernest Cossart in smaller supporting parts as Graham and Mr. Wilton, but nonetheless exhibiting outstanding and gratifying presence, poise, and delivery. Herbert Marshall and Melvyn Douglas equally command terrific nuance and precise personality as Frederick Barker and Anthony Halton respectively, splendidly calming and electrifying at the same time as the two men both build the unspoken pressure and keep it under control with their charisma. Above all, Dietrich demonstrates stupendous range tempered with fabulous, very deliberate subtlety, and is marked with an irresistible gracefulness and allure that heightens all these facets of her acting. Well and truly, every portrayal here is spotless, pristine as any comparison our imagination may conjure for the word.

The most lofty of descriptors can only do so much to begin to convey the great elegance and refined artistry of this movie. Why, I haven't even touched on the story here, though suffice to say that it handily stays in step with every other piece of praise I've proffered. I began watching with no foreknowledge save for the names involved, and perhaps I already had high expectations based certainly on Lubitsch's direction, but also Douglas and Dietrich's attachment. And still any presumptions I may have had before watching were far exceeded - this is an impeccable, striking feature, an exemplar of the sublime skillfulness and aesthetic techniques of film-making that can be applied even to more common narratives that eschew experimental or avant-garde ambitions. I have watched many lovely, captivating pictures, but can recount very few that have been so readily, completely bewitching. Viewers should know the genres the title plays with before committing to it, but otherwise I'd have a hard time believing this couldn't be enjoyed by all, nor thinking of anyone I wouldn't recommend it to. 'Angel' is a phenomenal slice of 30s cinema that stands tall with the very best of both previous years and subsequent decades, and is well worth seeking out wherever one may find it.