Ultraperfect synthesis of romantic comedy and metaphysical thriller

Rating: 10/10 (15 July 2007)

Until the 50s millions of elegant romantic comedies were produced, with tons of wit that screenplays seem to lack ever since. Since the 60s, millions of action thrillers have been produced, with tons of high octane fuel we can even get tired of. And in between, namely in 1959, Hitchcock placed the more than perfect merging of the two genres.
The ultimate blueprint for lighthearted adventure, with subtle metaphysical overtones such as identity without existence, overlapping layers of lie, truth and ambiguity, and not only one but two consecutive enigmatic endings, one in a stylish house (with a climax where the hero is mostly off screen, while we hear gunshots that are not even real fire, as we know later in a quite humorous way) and the other with the backdrop of the presidents' giant faces, epitomizing the whole film: a meaningless pursuit under cold, great powers that largely surpass the characters.
But even against this stone-cold backdrop there is place for a real cliffhanger and some romance, concluding with a funny visual metaphor... Summing up, Hitchcock at his best. I prefer this playful Hitchcock over the solemn ("Vertigo", "Torn curtain") or scary one ("Psycho", "The Birds") although his films always have an humorous undercurrent, again lacking in most contemporary films, that provides a necessary distance between both sides of the screen: too many films today pretend to be serious and real (in a shallow sense, of course).
A 200% perfect film, with an unforgettable Cary Grant and the beautiful Eva Marie Saint, top class villains James Mason and Martin Landau, elegant title sequence and extraordinarily thrilling music by Bernard Herrmann.
10 out of 10. You can endlessly dwell in this genuine encyclopedia of the adventure genre.