Review of To Catch a Thief (1955) by Tasos L — 03 Aug 2010

Jewel thievery in the classic atmosphere of the french riviera's villas and summer houses. Theres a car chase, roof climbing and interesting story. I would perhaps have liked more action along the way. It looks like Hitchcock builds up tension and thrill but it seemed to me they rather pressed the breaks rather than accelerate, except for the short car chase. French Riviera looks amazing, back then. The film has beautiful vistas and is amazing in many ways. Grace Kelly's exquisite presence works very well with it. Without those factors I would have rated the film a lot lower.

Unfortunately, its not all fireworks: It lacks any tension, unlike Hitchcock's previous classic Rear window, for instance. Its also slow paced. I guess I am just used to more action oriented films. Grace Kelly's beauty is not enough to keep the film going. You need more action here. It is not dull at all, just slow-moving. I thought it could have used a bit more Hitchcockian humour and more action. I have seen this classic at least twice before on television. I watched this movie during easter on DVD. There's a documentary on how the movie was filmed, too.