North by Northwest (1959)

"How does a girl like you get to be a girl like you?", 2 December 2015

I'd like to kick myself in the seat of the pants for just now getting around to watching North By Northwest. I've been meaning to sit down with it for years and finally got around to it this week. It's a case of too many movies and too little time. Anyway, what a treat! It's Alfred Hitchcock and Carey Grant doing what they do best and treating us to one of the most entertaining pieces of film I've ever seen. I don't throw 10/10 ratings around like candy. Over the years, I've taken the time to rate 2,575 entries on IMDb. Of those, I've only given 52 (well, now 53) 10/10 ratings. To me, a movie has to be really special to deserve a 10. And North By Northwest is a very special movie.

I've read more than a few of the North By Northwest reviews on IMDb and many cover the positive aspects of the movie much better and more intelligently than I ever could. Instead of trying to write a real review, I'm just gong to make a few comments on the film:

1. I've read a few reviews that complain about the unrealistic aspects and situations in the movie. I hope no one thinks that Hitchcock was ever going for a realistic look at crime. In an interview I read, he calls the movie, "A fantasy of the absurd". I'd call it a PERFECT fantasy of the absurd. The movie flawlessly mixes action, suspense, and comedy to create a wonderfully entertaining experience. And as I've said any number of times, I watch movies to be entertained. 

2. Apparently, Hitchcock selected Grant in the lead over James Stewart. No offense meant to Stewart, but I cannot imagine anyone in the Thornhill role other than Grant. His comedic touch, mixed with his good looks, his acting ability, and his ability to play a put-upon wrong man type role make him ideal. He may not have been the "everyman" Stewart was, but there's still something in his character that makes him eminently relatable. 

3. Like any movie fan, I was aware of the crop duster scene. It's an iconic movie moment that has transcended the movie. And it's just as good as I could have hoped. But I wasn't aware of the auction scene. That has to be one of the best moments I've experienced in a movie. It's just so perfect. 

4. As much as I enjoyed North By Northwest, there are a few moments that, if they could be changed, the movie would have been even better. Chief among these is the scene fairly early on in the movie where The Professor and his cronies are sitting around a table, discussing the Thronhill situation. I feel they give away too much of the plot's twists too soon. I would have preferred to have discovered George Kaplan's secret when Thornhill does. Playing along with the character might have made a fantastic movie even better.

I'll stop. I could literally write pages. I'll sum it all up by saying that if you've never seen North By Northwest, do yourself a favor and check it out. It's not to be missed.

10/10