Suspicion

Ah, the charming cad. A regular staple of many films from Hollywood's Golden Age. There's something about those characters that can provide a deep fascination.

And Johnnie Aysgrath (Cary Grant) of Alfred Hitchcock's Suspicion fits the bill for this character type. Lina McLaidlaw (Joan Fontaine) becomes smitten by him but after she marries him, she finds out that he's got a nasty gambling habit and constantly in debt. And she starts fearing he's capable of darker deeds.

This being Hitchcock's first of four films with Grant, it's interesting to see the famed collaboration blossom. (After all, the director gave the actor some compelling roles to sink his teeth into.) And with Suspicion, Grant subverts his usual charming leading man role for something that can be truly menacing at times.

And what of Fontaine? Reuniting with Hitchcock after the success of Rebecca, she plays a role similar to hers in the earlier film. But Lina isn't like the second Mrs. de Winter; she actually has an inkling that her husband isn't who he claims to be.

Though often lost in the shadow of the previous Hitchcock/Fontaine collaboration, Suspicion still holds up all these years later. Sure, there's the occasional similarity to Rebecca (ironic, no?) but it's far from the Gothic romance the earlier film is. It's instead perhaps a more cautionary tale being careful with first impressions. (Such a notion can very well save your life.)

My Rating: ****

To Catch a Thief

Boy, when it comes to old school glamour, no one can top Cary Grant. The man wore a well-tailored suit with ease and his natural charm made him irresistible. There have been many imitators but there will only be one Cary Grant.

And nobody captured Grant's suave nature better than Alfred Hitchcock. (Their four-film collaboration proved that effortlessly.) Their third collaboration To Catch a Thief, set against the backdrop of the French Riviera, is easily the most chic. (A whole eight years before Charade too!)

And like Charade, Grant is alongside an actress who's better known as a style icon. But instead of Audrey Hepburn, here he has Grace Kelly as a co-star. And the glamour from both of them just radiates on screen. (Certainly doesn't hurt that both of them are Hitchcock regulars.)

A plot device regularly found in your average Hitchcock picture is the accused innocent. Such films to feature that include the likes of The 39 Steps and (more obviously) The Wrong Man. To Catch a Thief has this plot, a whole four years before Hitchcock and Grant would do it with North by Northwest.

To Catch a Thief is good but compared to the other films Hitchcock did with Grant and Kelly, it pales in comparison. It relies more on the romance between the two stars than on the thrills. Still, at least it's pretty to look at. (Robert Burks didn't win an Oscar for nothing.)

My Rating: ****

Dial M for Murder

Alfred Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder opens with Margot Mary Wendice (Grace Kelly) reuniting with her lover Mark Halliday (Robert Cummings). She tells him that she's being blackmailed over their affair. In the following scene, it's revealed that her husband Tony (Ray Milland) is the one blackmailing her. And he has something planned for her: murder.

Similar to Hitchcock's Rope several years earlier, Dial M for Murder focuses on the planning and execution of the so-called perfect murder. But as shown in both films, the arrogance and overconfidence of the perpetrators result in them overlooking the most glaring of details. (The true trait of a narcissist: they think they're smarter than everyone else.)

And similar to Hitchcock's Rear Window released that same year, it sees Kelly thrown into the middle of criminal activity. But the roles between both films are completely different. Rear Window has Kelly trying to solve a possible murder; Dial M for Murder has her as the potential victim. (Either way, she's in the role of the Hitchcock blonde in peril.)

But that doesn't mean Dial M for Murder doesn't hold its own among Hitchcock's films. Like several of his other films, it's based on another work (in this instance, Frederick Knott's play of the same name) and Hitchcock makes it into something of his own. Only a few directors are capable of this task; Hitchcock was most certainly one of them.

Dial M for Murder isn't frequently held in the same regard as some of Hitchcock's other films. (Why that is, it's hard to say.) Thanks to the work from Milland and Kelly, it's one of those films that you kind of have to see.

My Rating: ****1/2

The Birds

Can anyone do suspense better than Alfred Hitchcock? (Answer: no.) Yes, there have been many imitators over the years (both during and after Hitchcock's time), but there can only be one master.

With The Birds, Hitchcock takes the work of an author he's adapted before (he had previously adapted Daphne du Maurier's Jamaica Inn and Rebecca) and makes it into something of her own. Many noted trademarks of Hitchcock's are present (the looming mother figure, the blonde damsel in distress) but at the same time, it feels different from his usual fare.

It starts off with a plot more likely to be found in your average Douglas Sirk production. It's not until about an hour in that the blood-thirsty birds become the main focus. Does that hinder the film's quality? Absolutely not. (On a different note, it's amusing to re-watch Psycho and noting the bird motifs knowing that The Birds would be Hitchcock's next project.)

Also, for a film made back in 1963, the special effects are quite good. Sure, there's the occasional shot that shows its age but for a film over fifty years old, you don't normally see special effects this, well, effective. (Honestly, you try finding something from the same time period with special effects that don't look like they cost a grand total of fifteen dollars.)

Stiff acting and dialogue aside, The Birds has some damn good scares. (Again, it's Hitchcock. No surprise there.)  Also, the lack of music so helps with the creepiness. Not a bad follow-up from Psycho.

My Rating: ****

Foreign Correspondent

Our first glimpse of John Jones (Joel McCrea) in Alfred Hitchcock's Foreign Correspondent shows him clearly being unimpressed by his newspaper job. Shortly after his introduction, he gets sent off to Europe to cover a peace organization's conference. Soon he finds himself entangled in political intrigue.

Released the same year as the more popular Rebecca, Foreign Correspondent was one of several films of the era with a political slant. (Well, it was an era of political unrest.) And has it lost any of its bite after all these years? Not in the least.

There are certain elements of Foreign Correspondent that are rather grim in hindsight because of what would happen in the following year. There's talk of disagreements throughout Europe, not mentioning the possibility that the rest of the world would be on the brink of war as well. Ah, life and its cruel ironies.

On a different note, McCrea makes for an ideal Hitchcock leading man. Bear in mind this was before Hitchcock used the likes of Cary Grant and James Stewart but either way McCrea (better known for comedies like Sullivan's Travels and The More the Merrier) proves what he's capable of. It's a shame that he and Hitchcock didn't work together again.

Foreign Correspondent is certainly a lesser-known work of Hitchcock's and it's also one that should be seen. Sure, some of its politics may not resonate nowadays but the rest of them do. It's only a matter of time before we're at war once again.

My Rating: ****

Shadow of a Doubt

There are always those films from Hollywood's Golden Age that took the wholesome American image and turned it upside down. (Mind you, those were usually the ones that didn't fare so well at the box office.) But get the right actors and directors, and you've got a damn good film.

Need a good example? Try Alfred Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt. It's a simple tale, really. It's only about the bond between a man and his adoring niece. Nothing too extraordinary. Oh, wait. There's the possibility that the uncle is a murderer. But again, nothing too extraordinary.

The man and niece are played by Joseph Cotten and Teresa Wright, both fine actors of the 1940s. They have a close bond (they even share the same name, Charlie) and people notice. But once the niece finds out about her uncle's possible crimes, that bond slowly but surely starts to crumble.

The amusing thing of Shadow of a Doubt is who one of the writers was. The writer in question is Thornton Wilder, basically one of the last people you'd expect to write for a Hitchcock film. But it surprisingly works.

Shadow of a Doubt is one of Hitchcock's more underrated films. Why that is, I have no idea. After all, it contains Cotten's best work as an actor. That, and it's damn fantastic.

My Rating: *****

Rebecca

Many people are aware of Alfred Hitchcock being nominated five Oscars and losing each time. What some people probably don't know is that one of his films won the Oscar for Best Picture.

The film in question is Rebecca, which got Hitchcock a Best Director nomination. (The other four in question are Lifeboat, Spellbound, Rear Window and Psycho.) This one is different from some of Hitchcock's later titles because doesn't rely on suspense; it relies on a looming presence.

The looming presence is that of Rebecca de Winter. Her widower Maxim (Laurence Olivier) is haunted by her death, as well as her maid Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson). Maxim's second wife (Joan Fontaine) sees what impact Rebecca left behind.

The performances from the three principal actors are fantastic. Olivier just radiates a mysterious allure in Maxim. Fontaine gets the mousy behavior of her character just right. But Anderson is the scene stealer of Rebecca. Her stoic face and dead gaze emulates creepiness. She makes Norman Bates look normal in regards with obsession.

Oh, Rebecca just screams "directed by Alfred Hitchcock". (That's a good thing, of course.) Subtext galore and good-looking actors that are sharply dressed? Yep, Hitchcock. Also, this is probably one of the few times AMPAS got it right for Best Picture. (Just saying.)

My Rating: *****

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Back in the 1940s, the essential comedy directors of the era included Howard Hawks, Billy Wilder and Preston Sturges. Anyone else who tried to top them failed in doing so.

1941 saw the releases of Sturges' The Lady Eve and Sullivan's Travels, and Hawks' Ball of Fire (written by Wilder). It also saw the release of an unusual entry to comedy film called Mr. and Mrs. Smith. What's so odd about a film about a quarreling couple? Simple: it's directed by Alfred Hitchcock, the Master of Suspense himself.

Don't get me wrong. Hitchcock could get a lot of funny lines in his films like North by Northwest and Rear Window. It's just any film of his is better with a nice murder or a little bloodshed. (Well, technically there's a little blood spilled, but it's only from a nosebleed.) Hitchcock wasn't kidding about this little musing: "I am a typed director. If I made Cinderella, the audience would immediately be looking for a body in the coach."

I did like the performances from Robert Montgomery and Carole Lombard, both I was familiar with beforehand but more so with the latter. Both were very good at comedy, no denying that. This film is proof. Each exchange between them just radiates with their skill of comedic timing.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith is amusing, though it's hard to shake the fact that Hitchcock directed it. I mean, I like Hitchcock, but this seems more like a film suited for Hawks. Just saying.

My Rating: ****

The Wrong Man

It's always sad seeing people getting wrongly convicted for crimes they had no involvement in, especially when the evidence actually clears them of all charges rather than convicts them.

The Wrong Man chronicles the living hell that bassist Manny Balestrero (Henry Fonda) went through to prove he didn't rob an insurance company. As he tries to prove his innocence, his wife Rose (Vera Miles) slowly starts to succumb from the strain of the ordeal.

You think that The Wrong Man would be ranked among Hitchcock's greats since it covers a common theme in his movies: mistaken identity. That theme was previously used in The 39 Steps and would later be famously used in Vertigo and North by Northwest.

The Wrong Man is based on real events, much like Hitchcock's Rope. The movie has an almost documentary feel to it. It doesn't have the typical Hitchcock aura to it, but I don't mind. It's nice not having your nerves frayed to oblivion when it's over.

This is somewhat an ironic, almost foreboding even, role for Fonda since he'd be trying to prove someone else's innocence in 12 Angry Men the following year. Miles, once we visibly see her psyche starting to crack, almost makes Norman Bates look legally sane. The Wrong Man gets the highest marks from yours truly.

My Rating: *****

Rope

Can someone commit the perfect murder? Can a person kill someone and get away with it? That's the question raised in Alfred Hitchcock's Rope.

Brandon (John Dall) and Philip (Farley Granger) have murdered a classmate of theirs. Brandon is eerily calm about the crime he has committed; Philip not so much. During a party thrown at the crime scene, their former house master Rupert Cadell (James Stewart) grows suspicious when the conversation shifts its focus on committing the perfect murder.

Rope is noted for allegedly being filmed in one continuous take. However, I could tell when a new scene started. But still, it's an ambitious feat for Hitchcock to try out.

The murder that the movie revolves around is loosely based on the infamous Leopold and Loeb case. Of course being the criminology freak that I am, I clearly liked that little fact.

Rope is a very well done movie though I would've loved it had it been just a little longer. Apart from that, I adored this underrated Hitchcock movie.

My Rating: ****1/2

North by Northwest

When the name of Alfred Hitchcock is mentioned, the main five movies that come up are Psycho, Rear Window, Vertigo, The Birds and North by Northwest, the latter I will be reviewing.

Advertising executive Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) gets mistaken for a man by the name of George Kaplan. As he tries to prove he isn't Kaplan, Thornhill almost unwittingly gets involved in a murder case where he is the accused murderer.

In typical Hitchcock style, he brings on the suspense early on. The difference is he reveals one of the major twists early on, which actually works rather than have the movie decline in quality. The chemistry between Grant and Eva Marie Saint is good. This is definitely one of Hitchcock's best.

My Rating: *****

Spellbound

Damn. Five Hitchcock movies, and they get better and better.

Dr. Constance Petersen (Ingrid Bergman) is a psychoanalyst at Green Manors who is perceived by the other doctors as detached and emotionless. Dr. Murchison (Leo G. Carroll), the director of the hospital, is being forced into retirement. His replacement is the much younger Dr. Anthony Edwardes (Gregory Peck). But Petersen notices Edwardes' odd behavior...

This definitely had the Hitchcock tone and feel to it. I liked the dream sequence by Salvador Dali. The chemistry between Bergman and Peck is good, but not strong enough. But overall, it's a damn good psychological thriller.

My Rating: *****

The 39 Steps

Not bad. Only seen four Alfred Hitchcock movies, and I'm a fan. I will be reviewing the movie that got Hitchcock recognized (and the first movie of his I saw), The 39 Steps.

Richard Hannay (Robert Donat) helps hide spy Annabella Smith (Lucie Mannheim), who is being chased by assassins. That evening, Annabella is murdered. Hannay flees, and tries to find what the "thirty-nine steps" Annabella mentioned are. While eludign police, Hannay continually runs into a woman named Pamela (Madeleine Carroll).

Although it's a Hitchcock movie, it didn't thrill me enough. But disregarding that, it's still a good movie.

My Rating: ****

Vertigo

Alfred Hitchcock is one messed-up man. It's like every movie I've seen by him (The 39 Steps, Rear Window, Psycho, Vertigo) gets more progressively messed-up. And to prove it, I will be reviewing, in my opinion, Hitchcock's most messed-up film, Vertigo.

After retiring from the police force due to his fear of heights, John "Scottie" Ferguson (James Stewart) is hired by a friend to watch over his wife Madeleine Elster (Kim Novak). Scottie agrees, but soon finds himself attracted to her, even though she seems possessed by a spirit of the past.

Man, this had a whole level of weird. Knowing Hitchcock, what do you expect? As for Stewart's performance, he managed to scare the hell out of me by the end of the movie.

My Rating: *****

Psycho

It's interesting. It takes a lot for a horror movie to scare the crap out of me. Alfred Hitchcock managed to do just that with his magnum opus Psycho.

Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) steals $40,000 from her boss and flees to California. Paranoid that the police are following her she checks into the Bates Motel, run by the conspicuous Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). Crane soon decides to return the money, but is murdered before she can do anything.

Congratulations, Mr. Hitchcock. Thanks to you, I don't believe I'll be able to take a shower again. As you can tell, Psycho affected me hard. I'll probably watch it again, but not anytime soon. Or at night.

Oh, wait. Forgot to mention this is my 50th post! Whoot!

My Rating: *****

Rear Window

As I previously mentioned, I admitted I haven't seen a well-known movie by Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorsese and Billy Wilder. I'm proud to say that I have finally caught up with the rest of the world last night and finally saw Rear Window.

Photographer L.B. Jeffries (James Stewart) is recovering from a broken leg, and he finds a way to kill his time: spy on his neighbors from his apartment. His suspicion starts to grows when he believes that Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr), a neighbor across the courtyard, has murdered his bedridden wife. At first no one believes him, but soon his nurse Stella (Thelma Ritter) and girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly) are convinced that Thorwald killed his wife.

Stewart's performance was very good, as was Kelly's. Hitchcock's direction of the movie was great as well.

My Rating: *****