Frankly, my dear, it's disappointing

Rating: 6/10 (12 April 2019)

What I liked: The acting was good. Some of the dialogue was good. The Mt. Rushmore shots were fun, by and large, and the final shot of the train barreling into a tunnel is just too hilariously suggestive not to like. What I didn't like: well, there sure are a lot of far-fetched a-goin's on, aren't there? Thornhill does precious little objecting in regards to his kidnapping. And attempting to get rid of Kaplan by pouring bourbon down his gullet and crashing a car? That's the best they can do? And Vandamm and company simply commandeer the Townsend manse? Is it that easy to do, to just waltz into the home of UN diplomat and take it over? Thornhill gets on the train to Chicago without a ticket too easily. And why not just do a drive-by while Thornhill is waiting in that Indiana cornfield? Killing him from a plane is easier than that? And the final sequence of switching from the scene with Eve dangling from Mt. Rushmore, to Thornhill pulling Eve up into bed - at first I thought it was awfully hokey. But I can also see another side to it: Hitchcock perhaps snubbing his nose at the usual damsel in distress being saved finale that everyone was expecting. Oh, and the laughter of everyone in that elevator to the line "You aren't really trying to kill my son, are you?" was bizarre and nonsensical.