Marlene Dietrich in Paris is exactly what you need

Is it worth your time?

If you have a thing for black-and-white dramas where everyone speaks in complete sentences and wears hats indoors, you'll love Angel. If you get restless watching people just talk and look at each other in nice rooms, stay away. It is not a fast movie. It is a movie that moves at the speed of a sigh.

Marlene Dietrich is doing that thing she does where she seems like she’s in a different movie than everyone else. She’s staring off into space, looking like she’s remembering a life she never actually lived. It’s captivating, honestly. Even when she’s just pouring tea, you can’t look away.

The Paris Problem

There is a scene in a flower shop that goes on for a weirdly long time. It’s just petals and awkward glances. Part of me wanted to yell, 'Okay, we get it, you like the guy!' but then I realized the slowness was the point. It’s about that feeling when you know you shouldn't be somewhere, but you can't force your feet to move.

• The lighting in the hotel lobby looks like it cost a million dollars, even if the plot feels like a play.
• I swear the side characters are just there to hold up the walls.
• The way Dietrich says 'no' and means 'maybe' is a masterclass in subtlety.

It’s not as gritty or weird as Razzia, but it has this strange, airy quality. It feels lighter than air, almost like it might float off the screen if the projectionist isn't careful. It’s got that weird, glossy, studio-era sheen that makes everything look like a dream. Maybe a bit too much, if I'm being honest.

There’s a moment toward the end where she has to go back to her husband. You can see the light physically go out of her face. It’s a tiny, tiny shift in her eyes. Most actors would have cried or made a speech, but she just... dimmed. It stuck with me for three hours afterward.

Is it perfect? Hardly. The pacing is all over the map. Sometimes it’s a sprint, sometimes it’s a crawl. But it doesn't try to be anything other than a story about a woman who is tired of being 'the diplomat's wife.' And sometimes, that’s plenty. 🍸