ahead of its time

Rating: 7/10 (27 May 2000)

It's interesting for a younger generation to watch movies such as "North by Northwest" to see just how much recent movies rip off original ideas.
"North by Northwest" is a spectacular suspense movie (I would not classify it as a thriller or action), with a keen script and even keener delivery of the lines. Cary Grant is commanding in his role as a fugitive from the law, while Eva Marie Grant is captivating as the femme fatale.
I did have my problems with the film. As with most movies of the period, it dragged on at points. While Grant and Saint have a nice on-screen chemistry, Hitchcock at times dwells too much on the duo and not enough on the intriguing storyline.
Plus, the movie has unnecessary exposition. There is a lot of emphasis on making the viewer realize Grant's character is a fast-thinking businessman at the opening of the movie, but the story never gets back to that. Grant's character never really has the chance to evolve, he just simply changes.
But overall, this movie triumphs because of the pace at which the viewer learns interesting details. Unlike most current Hollywood flicks in which the viewer has to wait until the end to learn anything (and the rest of the movie is spent trying to guess its secrets), "North by Northwest" lays down all its cards well before the movie's climax. The result is a story that is interesting throughout the entire film, as well as proof of Hitchcock's genius in direction.