Publisher: CinemaSerf June 26, 2022
Could this be Cary Grant as his most benignly menacing? The story itself is really nothing particularly new - a sort of "Gaslight" meets "Rebecca" style story that sees shy young heiress "Lina" (Joan Fontaine) hook up with debonaire "Johnnie" (Grant) and after a whirlwind romance the two are wed. His friend "Gordon" (Nigel Bruce) appears for a visit and soon some holes begin to emerge in her new husband's backstory. Further investigation reveals that lying is not something he has much difficulty with and after a few bumps on their road and when she discovers a letter from their insurers suggesting he was trying to borrow on her life policy, she begins to fear for her own life... Hitchcock's storytelling - at times the camerawork makes us feel like a peeping Tom - and Franz Waxman's tension-laden score add loads to this strongly character driven effort. Bruce shines as the jovial gent to whom "Lina" takes rather a liking, Fontaine herself treads the cinematographic line between reason and paranoia with some considerable skill - but it is Grant who really stands out. His character is likeable, plausible and if you've ever read Anthony Berkeley's rather wordy book "Before the Fact" then you'll recognise that his portrayal is really pretty spot on - can we believe him, do we (want to) believe him - and at the end, well.... It's great this. Well worth the watch.