Review of The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) by Late R — 09 Jun 2018

Hitchcock crafts a decent thriller.

While never reaching the heights of his greatest thrillers, Alfred Hitchcock directs a competent suspense film. James Stewart is better utilized in Rear Window and Vertigo, but he pulls off a fun bumbling husband trying to find his son. Doris Day is clever and sharp as the vocal wife, but she does not quite charm like Grace Kelly or Kim Novak. Overall, The Man Who Knew Too Much is an entertaining watch, but very simplistic. The plot is full of holes and characters are conveniently placed to fit the narrative a few too many times.

I feel like Hitchcock was uninspired as only a few unique panning shots down alleyways even intrigue the viewer. There is a brilliantly tense sequence at a symphony, but many other locales feel dry. At least we get to see Bernard Herrmann, who composed an enchanting score for the film, conduct the symphony on screen for a bit of Hitchcock's dry meta humor.

In short, The Man Who Knew Too Much is fun for a single watch, but leaves much to be desired. The plot is filled with inconsistencies and ludicrously ineffective police work. It always feels like something else should be happening. Characters act what is in the script instead of what would be natural or rational. I would recommend Vertigo, North by Northwest, The Birds, Rear Window, or Psycho before The Man Who Knew Too Much. It's a basic thriller that is well made, but run of the mill as far as Hitchcock pictures go.