Review of Dial M for Murder (1954) by Jason G — 10 Feb 2010

I really don't like Hitchcock's films , I've seen some of his most hailed and they barely keep me interested - but for some reason I gave this a chance (just because it was on instantly viewable on netflix).

This movie is told in completely linear order and still upsets the normal narrative structure by telling you exactly what will happen later on. It works really well , knowing the plan while it's being executed - it's also a huge change of what I've seen from Hitchock himself usually over dramatizing his twists , the twists here come without a bang.

Dial M almost entirely happens within one apartment set , I love it when movies incorporate the scenery heavily into the story and many of them also take place in one location. Pictures on the wall , curtains , scissors , each of them play a big role here. Another thing it does well is to continually change your perspective on what's fair and who is just.

It's not going to make me rush and see Hitchcock's other works since this seems to me a total reversal of his usual fare. I did deeply enjoy this suspense thriller though and applaud the director for defying the usual.