To Catch a Thief

Rating:
Summary: The Shakespeare of Cinema Strikes Again
Review: This is a great movie with wonderful performances by a handsome Cary Grant and a stunning Grace Kelly, who plays a witty young American (she's not playing!). That Kelly thinks of settling in Monaco in the film and later became the real Princess of Monaco makes one suspect that she wanted to make permanent the sort of life she acted in this brilliant psychological thriller. The theme of thievery is subtly parsed by hitchcock, who alludes to its erotic overtones and who, in general, is operating, like Shakespeare on a double level: you can enjoy it on the level of action and drama, and yet there is much more than meets the eye as jewels, money, possession, playing hard (and easy) to get, and the thrill of the chase are all mirrored in the register of romance. The cut to fireworks over the water outside the window as Grace wears fake diamonds but makes real love may have laid the way for the greatest cinematic cliche, but here it is far more than that: the shimmering water, shining eyes, crackling fireworks, and sparkling theme of beauty's temporary nature contrasted with desire's undying love come together perfectly. Like Shakespeare, Hitchcock's works seem infinitely rich and nuanced. A great, subtly deep romance from the master (watch for him on the bus early on) of film.

Rating:
Summary: great stuff - a true classic
Review: This is truly a classic - Hitchcock suspense and the timeless Grace Kelly and Cary Grant. A wonderful film that provides suspense without resorting to vulgar or violence. Beautiful scenery along the coast of France too. The newest DVD edition is superb; the film itself is well-preserved and there is a nice amount of bonus material including several commentaries, picture galleries, etc. Definitely one of Grace Kelly's best performances, and her pairing with Grant works well. The police investigator from Dial M for Murder also plays a key supporting role - this time he works with Grant as an insurance man as Grant's character comes under suspicion for a string of high-profile jewel thefts. Enter Grace Kelly and her jewelry, and you've got a fine little thriller as well as a romance in To Catch a Thief.

Rating:
Summary: No Chemistry Between the Stars
Review: Perhaps it's Cary Grant's robot like charm. Or perhaps it's Grace Kelly's utter lack of it, but somehow these two never looked like their romantic radars were on the same wavelength. Grace Kelly is beautiful in a classic, albeit unexotic way, but her acting is nonexistent, as is the chemistry she generates with Cary Grant.

As for Mr. Grant, Grace Kelly seems to be the last thing he is interested in. It's a wonder things work out he way they do. Cary Grant banked on his remarkable charming screen presence, while Grace Kelly serves as window dressing with no personality. It would have been nicer had she lost that fak-o English accent. It's really too much.

Kudos to the beautiful setting.

Rating:
Summary: An old Hitchcock movie
Review:

This is another old Hitchcock film, typical of his expert touch, and like virtually all of his work features a cameo appearance of Hitchcock himself. (A scene on a bus, in which he appears nonchalantly seated alongside Cary Grant as just another passenger for a second or two.)

In this wonderful film, Cary Grant plays a former jewel thief, John Robie, an American living in France who helps the French resistance during WWII, and subsequently (after the war) is given a parole for his former criminal acts because of his wartime heroism, dependent upon his subsequent good behavior, and "goes straight."

But there is a problem: Someone, using his exact modus operandi, begins a series of heists--throwing him into an extremely had light with the local gendarme.

Grace Kelly, as Frances Stevens, a somewhat spoiled American heiress, guesses his actual identity when he is trying to remain in hiding undercover in order to discover the perpetrator, and the plot thickens.

In the unlikely event that you have not seen this film, I don't wish to spoil it for you, so I'll not divulge any more of the plot, but it is HItchcock's usual masterful job, superbly played by a couple of Hollywood's top superstars when they were at the height of their careers.

This film was released in VHS on April 1, 2003. It is one of those timeless movies that never gets tiresome. A true classic representing a time when actors and actresses actually had character, and were identifiable as real professionals. Lord, I miss the "old days" when titillating the audience with filthy language and sex scenes was not necessary to hold their interest--just good stories and good acting.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre ...

Rating:
Summary: Languid but beautiful romantic thriller
Review: This is probably Hitchcock's most beautiful movie. Grace Kelly is well (but of course decorously) displayed in delicate and perfectly fitted summer dresses and evening gowns (designed by Edith Head) that show off her exquisite arms and shoulders while accentuating her elegant neck and jaw line--and, as she turns for the camera, the graceful line of her back. Opposite her is one of Hollywood's most dashing leading men, the incomparable Cary Grant.

The cinematography by long-time Hitchcock collaborator Robert Burks was shot on location in the French Riviera. The style is daylight clear and sparkling, bright as the dream of a princess to be, always focused without a hint of darkness anywhere. Even the scenes shot at night on the rooftops seem to glow. The houses on the hills overlooking Princess Grace's future home and the narrow cobble stone roads with the low-lying stone walls suggest a refined and elegant lifestyle to come. Even though she drives too fast, one is not worried that she might crash...

Cary Grant is John Robie who fought with the French resistence during WWII and then became a jewel thief, dubbed "The Cat" for his ability to slink quietly in the night over roof tops and to steal into the bedrooms of the rich and take their jewels without waking them. As the movie opens he is retired from his life of crime and living comfortably in a villa in the hills above Nice. The complications begin immediately as the police arrive at his villa to question him about some recent cat-like jewel robberies. Robie is innocent of course (we are led to believe) and to prove his innocence he is motivated to find the real thief.

Grace Kelly plays Frances Stevens, the slightly naughty nouveau riche daughter of the widow of a Texas-style oil millionaire. She is used to having men fall all over themselves trying to court her, but Robie seems uninterested, and this excites her fancy and she goes after him. It is interesting to note that by this time Cary Grant (51 when the film was released) had become such a heart throb that directors liked to have the women (who were always noticeably younger; Kelly was 26) chase after him. Audrey Hepburn does as much in Charade (1963). One notes that here, as in Charade, the women kiss Cary Grant first, not the other way around. Here it is nicely done as the previously demure Frances takes a surprising initiative at the door of her hotel suite.

The story itself is rather bland and predictable, reminding me of a James Bond flick from, say, the sixties as though toned down for an audience of old maids. Notable in supporting roles are Brigitte Auber as the athletic Danielle Foussard, John Williams as the British insurance agent, and Jessie Royce Landis as Frances Stevens' mother. Hitch makes his de rigueur appearance as a passenger on the mini-bus that Robie takes to get away from the gendarmes early in the film.

See this for Grace Kelly whose cool and playful demeanor and statuesque beauty form the heart of this somewhat languid romantic thriller.

Rating:
Summary: The Cat is Wrongly Accused...
Review: John Robie (Cary Grant), a.k.a. The Cat, is the main suspect in a number of big jewelry thefts along the French Riviera. The jewel thief has used the same methods once used by the former cat burgular, Mr. Robie, and when the police arrive to Mr. Robie's residence he has to escape with the notion that the law will not believe a former thief. John also realizes that he must find the real thief in order to prevent further thefts to be blamed on him, and with the help of a insurance agent from London he finds out where the thief might strike next. The next target might be Jessie Stevens and her eye-catching daughter Frances (Grace Kelly) who he befriends. To Catch a Thief is a stimulating film that won Oscars for best cinematography. The end result is a thriller that delivers suspense and drama while offering a first-rate cinematic experience.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully clever and entertaining!!!
Review: TO CATCH A THIEF, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, is a lush and entertaining comedy/thriller concerning a jewel thief on the French Riviera. The film's title was based upon an ancient proverb: 'Set a thief to catch a thief,' with double meanings regarding a double chase. The hero, John Robie, a falsely-accused former cat burglar, has to find and catch the 'real' cat burglar before he is caught himself, while the heroine, Frances Stevens, is on a quest to 'catch' him--first as a burglar and then as a husband. Each wishes 'To Catch a Thief.'

Unlike most of Hitchcock's work, this thriller is very low-key and based around a small mystery. As time passes, the audience realizes there is more afoot to this game than at first meets the eye. Does Frances have more malicious intent in trailing Robie's every move, or is her quest purely husband-oriented? The robberies are all in his particular style; could our hero be lying? When an investigation winds up in murder, and Robie is blamed by Francis for the theft of her priceless family jewels, Robie must defy death and attempt to grasp some sense of the truth, before he loses everything. At times, you are not quite
certain who everyone truly is. They are playing two-sides of a chess game; much like NOTORIOUS. Can you trust them or do they have something sinister up their sleeves?

Spread throughout the dialogue are sensationally clever double entendres that although made in a light manner, still overshadow a deeper meaning. They come fast and furious throughout most of the film. It's all done in a knowing, cheeky fashion, which was rendered to placate the overzealous Production Code Administration as much as it was to remind the audience that, in the end, this is all in good fun.

One of the few good points about the old Hollywood Production Code was the creative dialogue it caused writers to come up with in order to get their points across; which is also why the fireworks/kiss scene is still effective. It's a wonder the dialogue passed through the censors without a murmur. Obviously, filmmakers were now doing everything in their power to subvert the code--albeit in a friendly, comedic manner. I believe if this film had been played more seriously and didn't have such a light and comictone, most of the dialogue would not have passed through the code. Lucky for us, it did.

Rating:
Summary: A Rich Dessert
Review: This delicious and beautifully photographed film may not have the tension or substance of others in the Hitchcock catalog, but for pure escapism, it cannot be beat. This sumptuous and star powered technicolor extravaganza was one of the most stylish films made during the 50's, and when you add Cary Grant and Grace Kelly to the mix, you have an airy sophistication that can't be equaled in film today.

The gorgeous French Riviera is the backdrop to this romantic crime caper, and had Hitchcock chosen anyone other than Grant and Kelly, they would certainly have been overshadowed by its splendor. Grant as reformed jewel thief John Robie and Kelly as the spoiled heiress who falls for him look natural in this eye-popping setting.

A rich mother and her daughter would seem the perfect bait for the 'Cat,' but when that daughter turns out to be the breathtaking Grace Kelly, however, things can get complicated in a hurry. Francie is playful and coy, suprising Robie with a sexy kiss good-night, leaving no doubt she wants to be the Cat's new kitten. Complicating things even further are Robie's old enemies and a cute little French girl from his past with designs on the Cat herself. Don't forget about that new jewel thief roaming the rooftops either.

There is a witty script from the pen of John Michael Hayes based on David Dodge's book, but the stars and the setting take top billing here. Not a meaty film by any means, this may indeed be just dessert, as some have stated, but it is a rich chocolate moose served with fine French wine, and one instance where it is definitely recommended you skip the main course and dive right into the good part. Go on, you know you want to.....

Rating:
Summary: what a pair!
Review: Thank goodness they remade this Hitchcock film; it needed it. Wonderful pairing of two of the glossiest stars of the 50s when Hollywood excelled at just this kind of movie. Somebody is imitating the MO of retired cat burglar, Cary Grant, and it forces him back into service: a thief trying to catch a thief. Of course there must be a love interest: Grace Kelly, perfectly cast, the quintessential blonde actress who spawned an entire genre of look-alikes.
This DVD offers some great extras including a bit piece about the making of the movie, some old-timers offering their memories, and more.
You get more than your money's worth on this one.

Rating:
Summary: A long wait, but worth it!
Review: My favourite Cary grant movie - and now in widescreen format so you can actually see what's going on! What more could you ask for?