TO CATCH A THIEF

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 3 out of 5

Because of: sensuality, innuendo, thematic elements

Rated:

Unlike most of Hitchcock's works, this thriller is very low-key and based around more of a minute mystery and passionate romance than suspense. With a surprising lack of thrills and chills, it's a film that many people will enjoy who shy away from his psychological dramas and borderline-satirical horror films. It's also the first and only on-screen pairing of two Hollywood legends... Cary Grant and Grace Kelly, which alone makes it worth a spin. The story takes place in the romantic atmosphere of the French Riviera, where the wealthy eventually travel to experience the breathtaking majesty of the surrounding countryside.

Grant's character, John Robie, owns a majestic villa overlooking a breathtaking landscape, but his wealth is more than mere inheritance. Robie is a retired" burglar known only as "The Cat" by police and society alone. Charming, suave, sophisticated and curiously elusive, he remains an enigma to even the most persistent of his followers, the beautiful American heiress Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly). With something of a sinister undertone to her own exploits in the world of wealth and society, Frances is captivated by Robie even to the point of obsessively pursuing him... determined to catch him in the act. For she is convinced that this "retired" kitty has come out to prowl once more... particularly after a series of jewel robberies lead the police directly to his door. But Robie denies any hand in the thefts, instead determining that he will find the real perpetrator and therefore clear his name.

But the suspects are many, and he has very little to go on. Even his beautiful tag-along girl Danielle (Brigitte Auber), who is dangerously jealous of Francis. As time passes, the audience realizes there's more afoot to this game than first thought. Does Francis have more malicious intent in trailing his 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 looses everything... his wealth, his life... and the woman he loves.

Typically, this is not your average Hitchcock, although it definitely bears the style of cynicism well known in his works. There are very few psychological aspects; it plays more like a romantic comedy than anything else. The scenery plays a large part in the film, almost like an additional character. We are introduced to wide-scope images of the beautiful countryside, cool interiors, and the infamous hotel room overlooking the sea. Taken by its own merit, it's a clever movie with very few loopholes and a surprising twist to the end. It's a lot of fun to watch Frances chase Robie; her intentions are unclear and yet strangely present -- marriage, both out of sexual attraction and obsession with his past. At times, you're not quite certain just who everyone truly is. It's a game in which all play two-sided chess pieces; can you trust them, or do they have something sinister up their sleeves?

Kelly and Grant are magnificent co-stars... the romantic tension sizzles between them, whether it be in a darkened room or the pathway over the cliffs. It's basically the story of a young woman who is more than she appears, and the retired thief caught in her nets. This is probably the film that inspired Entrapment, a recent film with surprising similarities in its intentions. But like its remake, To Catch a Thief isn't as innocent as it first appears. Spread throughout the dialogue are sensationally clever double entendres that although made in a light manner still overshadow a deeper meaning. Kelly and Grant, who "improvised" many of these lines, were delighted they passed censors without a murmur. For younger viewers, they'll pass right over your head; but most teens can pick them up without any serious thought.

Francis' costuming is often mildly revealing; Danielle is shown in a bathing suit. Provided in the context of the film is some implied violence and one death, when a man falls off a cliff. There is also a sensuous scene of implied sex, although most of it is left to the imagination. It's actually an exceptionally well-filmed scene but full of suggestive overtones. Passionate kissing amidst a patterned display of briefly-shown fireworks seems lengthy. The film has beautiful costuming, excellent acting from all involved, and a memorable masquerade scene that turns into an entertaining and surprising climax atop a dangerous rooftop.

© www.charitysplace.com - all rights reserved.