Beautiful but vastly overrated

Rating: 3/10 (24 July 1999)

Vertigo has all the makings of a masterpiece except one: a compelling story. The twist is blatantly obvious twenty minutes into the film, and the romance of the film falls completely flat, so to speak. Ultimately, for all of Hitchcock's vibrant colors, striking camera angles, and the thrilling dream sequence, we simply do not care whether the characters live or die. Overall, a very disappointing film, but worth watching nevertheless for fans of Hitchcock's work. Vertigo is a remarkable instance of the whole being less than the sum of its parts.