Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Screenwriter: John Michael Hayes

Produced/Distributed by: Paramount Pictures

Starring: Cary Grant, Grace Kelly

Why Now? Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, a science-fiction political thriller, was set to finally be released in August 2020. Unfortunately, while that is no longer the case in the US due to the virus (now it’s coming September 3rd), the film will still be released worldwide on August 26th. So in honor of this much anticipated thriller, I will be watching films from that genre.

Why This Film? I watched Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps (1935) last week, and I want to continue to ride that wave by watching another one of his thrillers. And as a big fan of the always charismatic Cary Grant from North by Northwest (1959) and the sweet but sly Grace Kelly from Rear Window (1954), and I am excited to see both interact together in a film that came out around the same time.

What Did I Know About the Film? One’s a thief, and the other probably gets wrapped up in their scheme. I honestly don’t know much more, which is why I am excited to delve into it.

Post-Screening Synopsis:

A former cat burglar (Cary Grant) must clear his name after a string of burglaries on the French Riviera are pinned on him. Evading the police at every turn, he must find a way to outsmart and catch this new thief before he is caught and sent back to prison.

Praise:

Alfred Hitchcock knocks it out of the park once again! This is as close to a perfect film as can get for me. The direction, casting, production design, mise-en-scene, writing, and suspense were all top-notch, showing yet again why Hitchcock is a name that has lasted throughout film history.

Also, it’s always a hoot to see him cameo in his films 😉 It’s like a Where’s Waldo game!

I love Cary Grant. Suave, charismatic, aloof, agile, funny, determined, magnetic–no wonder he was considered to play James Bond. In fact, his role in this film was basically a proto-James Bond, and he is just so much fun to watch on screen. I’m always debating with myself whether Grant or Humphrey Bogart is my favorite actor, as they’re always stellar in every film they’re in.

Grace Kelly is also a pleasure to watch, and just like in Rear Window (1954), her character has important things to do in film instead of just sitting around or being the love interest/damsel in distress. She’s magnetic on screen, and her characters are believably clever (also a testament to the writing of Hitchcock’s films–say what you will about him, he knows how to feature interesting female characters).

Comments:

I don’t have any comments. This film, like North by Northwest (1959), was a perfect Hitchcock film for me, full of suspense, intrigue, adventure, amazing cinematography, and clever dialogue.

Also, as someone who is part-French, I was delighted to see that this film was completely set in France, and in cities that are not Paris (no shade to the capital–it’s just nice to see a change and expose viewers to other beautiful locations).

And if anyone was wondering, the film does feature many exchanges in French with little to no subtitles, and yes, I understood everything.

Verdict:

I love this movie. To me it felt like a James Bond film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, which was a blast to watch. I don’t know if I like it more that North by Northwest (1959) just yet, but I will definitely watch it many more times when I just want to have a good time!