Classic thriller! With a plane!

Rating: 9/10 (29 August 2011)

IMDb Top 250: 39 "They said I lived a dull life." says Roger Thornhill, hero of the Hitchcock classic, 'North by Northwest'. And for 2 hours and 11 minutes it's most certainly not true. 'Northwest' is an essential thriller, and one of Hitchcock's best.
Cary Grant stars as a Mad Man (advertising agent) who is mistaken for a spy. Things don't go his way, and he becomes wanted for murder too. He goes on the run to find out what's going on, aided by Eve Kendall. Unlike many other thrillers, even Hitchcock's own quintessential 'Psycho', events are set into motion right away. And then you can't let go. There are many twists, some small, some large, but right until the abrupt end, a viewer cannot call this film boring.
It starts with the leading man. Cary Grant looks the part of a New York businessman. His surprised expression isn't the most convincing, but his charm is. His chemistry with Eve Marie Saint chemistry makes the dialogue-laden scenes, namely the remarkable train scene, interesting and charming to watch. They're a great couple.
Speaking of scenes, Northwest has several notable and famous ones. The aforementioned train sequence, the art auction, and the lunchroom are cute, funny and shocking, but two steal the show. The very famous plains with the cropduster, and the chase on Mount Rushmore. The duster is just so out there it's fantastic, and the most iconic part of the film, and the chase is grand and nailbiting.
Worth noting, the title sequence is really cool, and the musical score is fitting. On another note, two things bugged me: *mild spoilers* why Thornhill would pull the knife out and turn to a camera is beyond me and unbelievable- I understand it moved the plot, but Hitchcock's a smart guy, he could've thought of a more reasonable scenario. Also the ending, while involving everything necessary, was very abrupt. We went from danger to 'The End' in less than 10 seconds. But these are acceptable issues in an otherwise outstanding film that as stood the test of time and aged very well. 8.7/10