Not among Hitch's best
Cary Grant is a reformed cat burglar. When someone starts stealing jewels following his old M. O., the police suspect him. He decides to clear his name by finding the thief himself. This puts him into the company of Grace Kelly and romance and thief-finding ensue.
I was pretty underwhelmed by this one. It's a romantic mystery thriller and I found both the romance and the mystery to be uncompelling.
The romance is the better part of this. It's nice to see Grant and Kelly on screen together (he was persuaded to unretire for this film ... which lasted another 11 years). That said, the romance is the kind that only really exists because the actors are beautiful and the film asserts that it does. Like the French Riviera settings, handsome cars and costumes, and pretty VistaVision tableaus, it's attractive, super light and doesn't really stick with you.
The mystery is actually pretty dreadful. It's difficult to believe that Grant is ever in any real danger of going to jail for a series of crimes that can't be connected to him by any actual evidence. His "M. O." seems to be "stealing jewels and leaving no evidence", which is hardly a decisive signature. Apparently the police believe he'd go out a steal a bunch of jewels and then just sit around the house waiting for them to show up. The idea that he has to go on the run is a real stretch.
Even if you buy that, the big hunt for the real thief is mainly hanging around beaches and villas until the real thief falls into his lap. Not the most compelling manhunt.
I don't think it's bad film by any stretch, but like a lot of mid-tier Hitchcock, it goes down easily and then instantly evaporates.
I was pretty underwhelmed by this one. It's a romantic mystery thriller and I found both the romance and the mystery to be uncompelling.
The romance is the better part of this. It's nice to see Grant and Kelly on screen together (he was persuaded to unretire for this film ... which lasted another 11 years). That said, the romance is the kind that only really exists because the actors are beautiful and the film asserts that it does. Like the French Riviera settings, handsome cars and costumes, and pretty VistaVision tableaus, it's attractive, super light and doesn't really stick with you.
The mystery is actually pretty dreadful. It's difficult to believe that Grant is ever in any real danger of going to jail for a series of crimes that can't be connected to him by any actual evidence. His "M. O." seems to be "stealing jewels and leaving no evidence", which is hardly a decisive signature. Apparently the police believe he'd go out a steal a bunch of jewels and then just sit around the house waiting for them to show up. The idea that he has to go on the run is a real stretch.
Even if you buy that, the big hunt for the real thief is mainly hanging around beaches and villas until the real thief falls into his lap. Not the most compelling manhunt.
I don't think it's bad film by any stretch, but like a lot of mid-tier Hitchcock, it goes down easily and then instantly evaporates.
- rdoyle29
- Jun 27, 2023