A delightful Hitchcock film about an ex-burglar who must catch a thief who’s been copying this style before he gets accused of the wrong crimes. His time is running out as the police are close be...
To Catch A Thief plants Hitchcock's jewelled direction in a hesitant mystery romance. Not every Hitchcock film can match the unprecedented masterpiece status that are 'Psycho', 'Vertigo', 'Rear Window' (cue extensive list...). Several of his mystery thrillers have gone unnoticed, faded into the white noise of the silver screen. This little gem is one of them, and is rarely discussed amongst the film community. It's somewhat rough around the edges, yet Hitchcock's masterful direction still allows this diamond to glisten today. A retired cat burglar attempts to prove his innocence by catching an imposter prowling the streets of the French Riviera for wealthy tourists wearing expensive jewellery.
The complexity of Hitchcock's filmography may not exist here, however his trademark ingenuity remains. Landscape shots of the Mediterranean coastline, whilst still focusing on gentle car pursuits as if everyone were Sunday drivers, encapsulate the breathtaking French air that these characters reside in. You can smell the vineyards, feel the fresh sea breeze and taste the lavish expendability of money. Hitchcock once again proved that he was the omniscient director at that time, well probably still now, by consistently anchoring the story solely on the characters.
Grant's experienced cat burglar is a sly but gentlemanly man who wishes to clear his name. The mystery is told through his perspective at all times, and you quickly start to appreciate him as a character, despite Cary "Tanned Orange" Grant blinding my eyes with his artificial skin colour. The mystery soon shifts into a romance with the beautifully stunning Grace Kelly, playing the daughter of a wealthy widow. Putting aside the typical "old man romanticises with young woman" cliché from this era of filmmaking, her elusive and alluring persona made her the prime jewel on a gold necklace. Quite often, the palpable love (if you can call it that) between them felt genuine due to the personable and enjoyable screenplay written by Hayes. There's wit, tension and a surprising amount of comedy to retain entertainment value throughout the burglaries. Especially the closing line of "Mother will love it up here." to which an unamused Grant stares frightfully at the camera.
Where the film's issues crop up is with the unequal balance of mystery and romance. The two rarely seamlessly blend together. The second third in particular, focussed heavily on the romance between our two leads that the informal investigation somewhat dissolved. This then leads to a rushed third act where the culprit is revealed, all too predictably might I add, and everyone lives happily ever after. It lacks the suspense that Hitchcock is infamous for in his other mysteries, mainly due to an imbalance of clarity. By its conclusion, the romance was more investing than the central story itself. Oh, and certain night time scenes were clearly filmed during the day. Just pointing that out!
Fortunately though, it doesn't deter from the overall enjoyment to be had. It's a light-hearted escapade that bolsters riveting performances and exquisite direction from the master himself. Making this one hidden gem that should not be stolen from your eyes.
