Magnificent Light Entertainment

Rating: 9/10 (17 February 2007)

This is not a movie to change your view of humanity in any way. Except, strangely, to build a simple sense of community.
But it is probably Hitchcock's greatest film because it plays with so many layers of lightness and joy, seemingly in contradiction with the plot of the story. Hitchcock makes the act of witnessing and uncovering murder into a ripping good yarn, and a bit of fun.
Stewart and Kelly flirt with each other in very morish fashion, and they share a few terrific, spell-binding moments in which they build realisations through trusting each other's intuition - despite their better judgment. We, the viewers, revel in the way they come together in pursuit of the truth.
The set is magnificent: a world in which we can all be voyeurs, witnessing the great emotional struggles of the simple lives playing out around us. And through it all, Hitchcock relentlessly - and perfectly - builds the tension to a glorious climax.
Not one of the most searching films ever made, but most definitely one of the best.