To Catch a Thief

Starring: Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Brigitte Auber, Jean Martinelli, John Williams, Jessie Royce Landis
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Rating: PG
Genre: Mystery, Romance, Thriller
1955

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A former jewel thief (Cary Grant) is accused of a new series of crimes and decides to prove his innocence by catching the thief himself.

Review:

Tim: To Catch a Thief is one of the classic Alfred Hitchcock movies that took me forever to finally see. This is the 18th Hitchcock movie I've seen. He directed so many incredible films over the years. I truly enjoyed To Catch a Thief, but I think it falls just below the level of his greatest films. It's expertly crafted and always entertaining, but it didn't feel like it had quite as much punch as some of his stone cold classics. Still, that doesn't take anything away from this film or its effectiveness.

The story is especially strong. We meet this retired jewel thief, played suavely by Cary Grant. When a series of jewel heists take place that follow his MO, he's asked to come in for questioning. Law enforcement believes he's guilty of the crimes. To prove his innocence, he decides to catch the thief himself. This is such a cool premise. We have a master thief working to catch another thief in the act. The story is a bit more paced and dramatic than I expected. There's a few tense moments, but these are mostly few and far between. To catch a thief, our thief does a lot of talking and unrelated things. But still, there's an interesting mystery at the heart of this film. I admit I wondered if he was actually guilty of these crimes. When I tried to envision who the actual thief was, I wasn't quite sure. It holds your attention, the desire to see how it all turns out. I liked the story, although I wish Hitchcock had pushed the pace a bit. There doesn't seem to be quite enough urgency in the story. The middle is especially soggy- great character development takes place, but it feels like it takes a long time to do that. The movie is definitely a slow boil. At 1 hour, 46 minutes, it's not too long. It simply spends a lot of time getting to its big conclusion. The climax is good, but not great. It was exciting, but I wish it was a bit more powerful. Still, it's a solid conclusion to this story.

I know Cary Grant was one of the biggest stars of this time period, but I never feel like I give him appropriate credit. There's something about him that feels plain, on the surface. Of course, when you get into a performance, Grant does fantastic things. I remember being so impressed with his cool, charismatic performance here. You're interested in his character. It's not one of his best performances, but it's close. I think my thing with Grant is that I never feel like "no one else" could have played the role. That's true here, although I admit I thoroughly enjoyed what Grant did here. I was also really impressed with Grace Kelly. This is only the fourth Kelly movie I've seen, but I've enjoyed her work far more than I haven't. I think she's quite strong here- she brings a great deal of energy to the role. Her interactions with Grant are spectacular- they have good chemistry and I loved all the time their characters spent with each other. That's really the highlight of the film, the Grant-Kelly pairing. They work well together. John Williams adds a nice supporting performance, too. It's an important role in this film and Williams is quite memorable in a role that shouldn't have been memorable. Brigitte Auber has some nice moments, too. She works well opposite Grant, too. One of the best scenes in the film is the scene in the water with Grant, Kelly, and Auber. Their dialogue and the tension there is fantastic.

I really enjoyed To Catch a Thief. It's another triumph for Alfred Hitchcock and makes me appreciate him even more. He's undoubtedly one of the all-time greatest directors. This film is expertly crafted, holds our attention, and tells a unique and memorable story. I admit, I'd hoped I would love this movie. I didn't quite get to that level, but it's one I have nothing but warm feelings for. It's romantic, exciting, and unique. The film did win 1 Academy Award, for Best Cinematography, Color. I can see that- the film is beautifully shot in various locations. That certainly contributes to the film's interesting uniqueness. It was also nominated for Best Art Direction-Set Direction, Color; and Best Costume Design, Color. That technical acclaim speaks to Hitchcock's ability to craft an especially good movie. I can see why this film is regarded as a classic.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



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