Ein Engel und Paul (2003)

Marie, the blonde angel, sits in a street café and draws men’s attention not only with her beauty but also by reading marriage advertisements where everyone can see her. That is her job. She works for Charly at a shady matchmaking agency that tries to entice men into becoming paying members of the “Lonely Hearts Club.” There she spots Paul, stumbling, awkward, and in a great hurry as he comes out of a high-rise building. She falls in love with him at once. He is the man of her dreams. With professionalism, great energy, and even persistence, she works her way into every area of his life, winning his attention, his interest, and his love. Paul, a lawyer at his friend Hans’s firm, really has no time for a new romance. He is married to Louise, an intelligent and attractive woman. They have a 14-year-old daughter, Laura, who is going through puberty. Their marriage is harmonious, really, but has been dulled somewhat by habit and obligations, especially since Paul has little time because of his demanding work as a lawyer. Louise stayed home to raise their daughter and now wants to return to work. Marie enters the picture and rekindles Paul’s passion for love. For a moment, they both want to put a stop to this developing relationship—a pause in its progress. But a chance encounter fans the flames again. Louise notices her husband’s feelings, and he does not hide them. But she demands that Paul make a decision and throws him out of the apartment. Paul picks Marie up from the dance hall, the hub of Charly’s “marriage agency.” Charly refuses to let Marie go and tries to keep her by force, like a pimp. Paul and Marie flee to Hans’s vacation home in southern France for a break. But Hans needs Paul at the firm and gives him little time away. Paul and Marie enjoy a wonderful time together. When they return, Paul has a surprise for Marie: the prospect of a life together in a terraced house with a small, divided-off strip of green space. Then Marie confesses her love for Paul, but flees on a pretext. Paul loves her, but he knows she will not come back: their worlds are simply too different.