The master of suspense forgot to put the suspense in

Rating: 7/10 (28 November 2006)

The "old" movies in the Top-250 seem to me to fall squarely into two categories: true classics (Vertigo, Casablanca), and movies that are probably mostly included for nostalgic reasons and have aged quite noticeably. "North by Northwest" falls clearly into the second category. While it's by no means a bad movie, it's also by no means a real classic.
"North by Northwest" can best be described as a very early attempt at an action comedy. It's a fast-paced, fairly light story that clearly goes for style over substance. As such, it succeeds gloriously. There's no denying that it's a very charming movie. The lead characters are excellent, the dialog is sharp, witty, and full of memorably quotes, and some scenes like the auction are truly classic. Kudos also to the excellent musical score.
Yet, I was expecting a bit more from Hitchcock. For one, "North by Northwest" is sorely lacking in suspense. Although the main characters are constantly chased and put into supposedly hazardous situations, but they always get away easily and never seem to be in any real danger, thus killing most of the suspense.
The plot also doesn't really help. It's got its fair share of twists and turns, but most of them are so predictable that you can spot them from a mile away, and curiously enough most of the mystery is revealed early on, further killing any suspense that might have been there. Also, expect a fair amount of plot holes, contrivances, and a very clear deus ex machina ending. The relatively complexity of the plot might have wowed audiences one day, but not any more.
"North by Northwest" is perfect as a light-hearted diversion, but I have trouble seeing this as the classic it is often proclaimed to be.
***1/2 out of *****