NORTH BY NORTHWEST -- Alfred Hitchcock, dir

©1959
studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
dir: Alfred Hitchcock
cast: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, Martin Landau, Jessie Royce Landis,Leo G. Carroll
screenplay: Ernest Lehman

Mistaken identity gets a man mixed up in a murder, espionage, an FBI "sting," and love.

This is probably one of my favorite Alfred Hitchcock movies (and the movie of the month on my Museum of Modern Art calendar). It seems very well put together -- no information is left out. Just when I get to the point where I'm uncomfortable because of the mistaken identity, Hitchcock deftly gives us some important information which allows us to stop being uncomfortable and instead follow the story.

At the same time, though, there are enough surprises to keep the audience in suspense and wondering what events will next turn out unexpectedly.

Cary Grant gives a truly remarkable performance, as does Eva Marie Saint. All the other roles, which are relatively minor, are well done. Mason, Landau, and Carroll are certainly fine performers and handle their roles well.

My biggest complaint would have to be the role of the "mother." Jessie Royce Landis was much too close in age to Grant to be seriously taken as his mother. Also, I'm not quite sure what the purpose of having his mother around in the beginning was for. Was it simply to set up the fact that he was a bit of a milquetoast -- not prone to this kind of adventure? Her lack of faith in him certainly didn't give him the boost to clear his name.

All in all, a recommended film.