This is a top rate suspense film from Hitchcok featuring many memorable moments, and some very strong performances from Kelly, Milland, and Williams. With a brilliantly executed plot and twisting story, this is one of the most impressively constructed films of the time.
Kelly stars as Margot, an unhappily married woman who has been seeing crime writer Mark behind her husband's back. Her husband Tony is an ex tennis star whose wealth is slowly draining. Mark is an American, and is travelling over to visit the couple in London. However, Tony has known for a year that his wife has been with Mark. Tony concocts an ingenious plan to murder his wife, blackmailing an old college friend into doing it, and getting his wife's money in the process. It is the perfect plan, as Tony believes there is nothing to link him to the murder- a burglary gone wrong while he is not even at the house. However, the murder goes wrong, and Swann, his old friend is killed by Margot in self defence. The police are eventually informed, but not before Tony has come up with an even more impressive plan which will see his wife framed for the murder. Enter the Sherlock Holmes like Inspector Hubbard whose intuition and genius, along with the help of Mark's crime writing paranoia lead to the truth.
There are so many twists in this film that the viewer is completely led in circles by the director. Aside from the brilliantly constructed plot, special mention must go to Williams as Hubbard, whose tongue-in-cheek performance steals every scene he is in. Like Hitchcock, he is in control of the characters and deftly unravels the crime. This should not be overlooked because of Hitchcock's bigger, more familiar hits as this is one of his best.
9 out of 10
Kelly stars as Margot, an unhappily married woman who has been seeing crime writer Mark behind her husband's back. Her husband Tony is an ex tennis star whose wealth is slowly draining. Mark is an American, and is travelling over to visit the couple in London. However, Tony has known for a year that his wife has been with Mark. Tony concocts an ingenious plan to murder his wife, blackmailing an old college friend into doing it, and getting his wife's money in the process. It is the perfect plan, as Tony believes there is nothing to link him to the murder- a burglary gone wrong while he is not even at the house. However, the murder goes wrong, and Swann, his old friend is killed by Margot in self defence. The police are eventually informed, but not before Tony has come up with an even more impressive plan which will see his wife framed for the murder. Enter the Sherlock Holmes like Inspector Hubbard whose intuition and genius, along with the help of Mark's crime writing paranoia lead to the truth.
There are so many twists in this film that the viewer is completely led in circles by the director. Aside from the brilliantly constructed plot, special mention must go to Williams as Hubbard, whose tongue-in-cheek performance steals every scene he is in. Like Hitchcock, he is in control of the characters and deftly unravels the crime. This should not be overlooked because of Hitchcock's bigger, more familiar hits as this is one of his best.
9 out of 10