[97]
Second viewing, up from 87 and now I’m able to confirm that not only is this my favorite Hitch, but it would also rank highly among my personal favorite films of all time. Floored again by the dual purposing as both a spy thriller and a sadomasochistic love triangle, the former illuminated by classic Hitchcock signposts—an exquisite crane down from the ceiling to Alicia’s fist, a languid pan across various wine label vintages, the shot of a poisoned woman…
[92]
Up from 75. Revisited this in January and had several false starts attempting to write an updated review that was adequate enough to capture why I think this is one of the most misunderstood films of all time, and also one of the greatest. (Or pretty high up there, anyway.) Never completed that review, obviously, but did end up rewatching this a third time and find myself compelled to, at the very least, update my score to reflect my…
[66]
”Your eccentricity and anxiety aren’t a part of who you are?” An intimate and appropriately quaint examination of how fruitful friendships can mutate into toxic codependencies. One might be quick—and not necessarily incorrect—to prescribe culpability to Jo, who increasingly interprets her relationship with Mara as an unremitting emotional safety net. But part of me also sees Mara quantifying her own self-worth* by her utility to others. It’s not merely enabling, it’s partially self-serving—she’s getting something out of it, too,…
[87]
Like, sure, it’s far from the prettiest or tidiest picture you’ll ever see, but I’m always amazed at how firm a grasp Sternberg had on the cinematic language, how fluently and effortlessly he spoke it, and how confidently he spackled his films with small and seemingly inconsequential—but nevertheless unconventional—details, bringing them to life in ways that almost register subconsciously. We’re in the Sound Era now, but Sternberg pictures at the advent (including this one), unlike many of his peers’,…
[57]
I am frankly sick and fucking tired of this movie and the dichotomy it has created within the film community. You’ve got a surprising majority of people claiming it’s a cinematic masterpiece - the next CITIZEN KANE, 10/10, A++, “would let Chris Nolan fingerbang my senses again” - alongside a smaller but equally vocal minority lamenting that it’s the most vile, disgusting, contrived, and overrated waste of space ever created. With all respect, I will never understand people who…
