Hitchcock's obvious limitations

Rating: 4/10 (13 July 2005)

Hitchcock's sterile universe of non-humanity certainly demonstrates its own limitations in this forgettable attempt at making a combined suspense/comedy. We are supposed to care for Cary, but I simply couldn't care less about this hologram of a personality who is about as implausible as the rest of the story.
Furthermore, there are some dreadful flaws in the script: Our dear mr. Thornhill completely fails to wonder how on earth this completely unknown miss Kendall is able to know and even make contacts with the mysterious George Kaplan.
There is nothing impressive about most of the camera work either. Apart from an extremely elegant pan from outside to inside the train, most scenes are quite ordinary.
This movie is for film buffs and others who prefer hidden references to other events above the actual story. In my opinion this is one of the most overrated films on IMDb. In short: It takes a buff to appreciate this long flick. Others should go and watch an early James Bond instead!