Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis
‘A Disappointment’
“To Catch a Thief” is directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Its script is written by John Michael Hayes and the screenplay is based off a novel of the same name by David Dodge. This film stars Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis, John Williams, and Charles Vanel. The plot follows a reformed jewel thief (Cary Grant) who is suspected of returning to his former occupation. He must ferret out the real thief in order to prove his innocence. “To Catch a Thief” was nominated for 3 Academy Awards but ended up winning only one for cinematography.
Hitchcock has directed unforgettable masterpieces such as “Rear Window”, “Vertigo”, and “North by Northwest”. I am a huge fan of Alfred Hitchcock’s movies, but this film is the one rare exception. Unfortunately, this film does not come close to the best movies made by the master of suspense. It’s full of stupidity, poorly scripted, and missing the touch of the master of suspense. The cinematography of France, by Robert Burks is gorgeous and the performances are fine, but John Michael Hayes’ script is nonsensical and flawed. It’s hard to follow the plot and the ending proves that those 106 minutes, spent watching this film, were wasted.
Hitchcock directs the film using gorgeous scenery. He always made movies which were visually stunning, and this one was no exception. The gorgeous cinematography captured the beautiful landscapes of France. The technicolor also elevated the film to another level, capturing bright atmosphere of the story.
The performances are commendable but not enough to mend the film. Cary Grant is charming and sarcastic as a jewel thief. Grant always brings charisma to every movie, and here he showcases his strengths as an actor. He carries the film on his shoulders even when it threatens to fall apart. Grace Kelly is equally excellent. She is as always beautiful and highly attractive, but once again even her talent seems to go down the drain here. The same problem is experienced with the rest of the cast including Jessie Royce Landis, John Williams, Charles Vanel, and Brigitte Auber.
Despite its merits, “To Catch a Thief” fell short of my expectations. I felt this film was missing the gripping story of Hitchcock’s greatest works, and I wasn’t fully invested in the characters. There was also little suspense which is surprising for a Hitchcock film. There’s a spark in every Hitchcock movie that was simply missing from this film.
In the end, “To Catch a Thief” is a mediocre film which doesn’t fully honor the master of suspense. It’s not a bad movie by any means but it’s a crushing disappointment coming from a filmmaker considered a master of entertainment.
At a time when Alfred Hitchcock remains one of the world’s greatest filmmakers without a doubt, it’s a sad reminder that not all of his films were shining jewels of masterpieces that were worth talking about.
3/5 stars
The Film Buff 
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