I liked this movie. A lot. I watched it with my mom and she liked it, too. This is important to note because my mom will often fall asleep before a film finishes, but she stuck with this one to the end.
The story is likely familiar (even if you haven’t seen the film). Two men meet randomly on a train. One suggests they swap murders. The other thinks he must be joking. Only he’s not. Of course.
There were several moments in the film where Alfred Hitchcock‘s direction was readily apparent. I guess I’ve watched enough of his films now to recognize a few of his tricks. The man certainly knew how to work a scene.
The opening, focused on the two mans shoes, is great. All you needed to know about them you could learn from their choice of footwear.
They meet.
The stalking and eventual murder was also great – lots of good build-up and suspense. Catching the reflection of the murder in the victim’s fallen glasses was a nice touch.
And my personal favorite – a sea of heads swinging back and forth to watch a tennis match, all save for one. Menacing!
Alfred Hitchcock’s daughter, Patricia Hitchcock, played the role of Barbara. It’s an odd role played in a strange way. But she brings some comic relief to the film. I particularly enjoyed her “distraction” of the police man towards the end.
I enjoyed this movie and it kept my attention throughout. I think this might be my new favorite of the bunch so far!
I liked this movie a lot. In many ways, Torn Curtain is Alfred Hitchcock at his best. It was twisty and suspenseful and more than a little fun.
Paul Newman is a gorgeous man, and I enjoyed his performance here. Especially since he appeared shirtless quite a few times. Yum! But Julie Andrews was the true revelation for me. I know her as Maria from The Sound of Music or as Mary Poppins. Maria and Mary Poppins do not say, “Hell,” and they definitely don’t roll around in bed with a man who is not their husband – one has to wonder how much rolling around in bed former nun Maria would do even with her husband. They certainly do not defect to East Germany, no matter how hot Paul Newman is. Andrews was great here, as her character runs the gamut from happy and in love to doubt, mistrust and betrayal.
The character actors in the minor roles that the leads encounter along the way add so much to this movie. The nutty Polish countess looking for her sponsor to the United States, the vain ballerina who resents her stolen spotlight and of course, the gum-chewing former Brooklyn wise guy, now State Police member Hermann Gromek.
My favorite part of the film was the extended bus-ride scene where a motley crew of characters help the Professor and Sarah make their way back to Berlin. It’s suspenseful, but fun, and since it’s Hitchcock, you’re never really sure if you’re going to get a happy ending.
I definitely recommend this film if you haven’t seen it. Torn Curtain is my favorite Flick Buddies pick from July (so far – I still have two films to go)!
I explained the genesis of this new blog feature last week. So let’s just jump right in!
Today is an awesome day! I got really good news at my post-op appointment this morning and I just got really, really good news from my manager and director at work this afternoon. For a Friday the 13th, it’s a great day.
Battlestar Galactica Season 3: I was not a fan of the “New Caprica” story line (sorry webisodes). Now that they’ve left that yuck planet behind, and the episodes have been more about human interaction than Cylon-human interaction, I’m really getting back into the show. And Starbuck’s hair is short again. Yay!
Flick Buddies! Kelly and Bekki have put up some great reviews and I know it’s just a matter of time before (slacker) Steve and new member John start doing the same. I’ve got Torn Curtain to watch this weekend, so look for my review on Sunday.
My son loves music! I wanted Album Club to make me love new music. It didn’t exactly work out that way. But my 8-year old son and I share an iTunes account and he has lately taking a real liking to our (faux) April selection Shangri-la by YACHT. I’m excited that he’s listening to real music and not some Kidz Bop crap that I can’t stand. I’m proud that my kid has good taste (even if I can’t really take the credit for it).
I consider myself a bit of an Alfred Hitchcock fan, but I had never heard of Marnie before Steve selected it for Flick Buddies. However, the prospect of a young Sean Connery coupled with a “suspenseful sex mystery” had me primed for an enjoyable film-watching experience!
And I did have lots of fun watching this movie. But that’s mostly because I watched it with Kelly at her apartment.
I love a yellow bag.
I loved the opening scenes of this film. The image of ‘Tippi’ Hedren (single quotes at Hitchcock’s own insistence) walking along a train platform with a yellow clutch bulging with cash and black hair sticks with you. Scenes of packing and switching out Social Security cards follow. You’re hooked immediately.
I was enjoying the film a great deal, right up until Marnie’s mum makes an appearance. I’m not sure what’s going on with her accent, but it’s horrible. I don’t think it occurs naturally anywhere within the continental United States. It definitely doesn’t remind me of Baltimore.
Good morning, Baltimore!
In addition to her thieving ways, Marnie also has a big problem with the color red. This isn’t really a spoiler, as Hitchcock beats you over the head with this repeatedly. She suffers from nightmares and hates thunderstorms. And of course she’s a pathological liar. What’s not to love?
Marnie, she hates red. Hates it!
She steals and she’s frigid, but Mark (Sean Connery) still falls for her, despite sexpot Lil (played by a young Diane Baker, whom you might recognize as Sen. Ruth Martin in The Silence of the Lambs) throwing herself at him constantly, even after his marriage to ice-cold Marnie. And I do mean immediately after.
Oh, Lil! You crazy minx!
The movie lost me a bit during the courtship and subsequent marriage/honeymoon of Mark and Marnie. It was all downhill from their first awkward kiss. Hitchcock might be the king of horror and suspense, but he doesn’t do relationships well. He loves a slow build-up, but his romances often seem stilted and rushed to me. It’s not clear why Marnie would even consent to date Mark with her abject fear of men and it’s not entirely clear why Mark would want to marry her after he learns her true nature. But the relationship is necessary to provide Mark the incentive to unravel the mystery that is Marnie. All is revealed in the end.
Watching Marnie taught me:
You’re never too old to be jealous of the little girl next door.
Hold off on telling the new secretary about the safe combination until at least the second day of employment.
If your employer asks you to work overtime at 2:30pm on Saturday, he’s probably got the hots for you.
If you’re going to be raped by your husband, it better be Clark Gable.
There is a book for every mental ailment.
When it comes to horses, shoot first and ask questions later.
Never let the crazy lady keep your husband’s gun.
The courts in Baltimore go way too easy on murdering prostitute moms.
I don’t think Marnie is one of Hitchcock’s best, but I enjoyed it. Perhaps not entirely in the way Hitchcock intended.
[NB: While researching this post, I stumbled upon this slide show of Vanity Fair’s 2008 Hollywood Portfolio: Hitchcock Classics, which recreates scenes from his films with current stars. Marnie, Rebecca and Strangers on a Train are all represented. Sadly, Torn Curtain didn’t make the cut but lots of other great films did. Definitely worth checking out!]
NPR‘s Pop Culture Happy Hour is one of my favorite podcasts. I’m multi-media addicted, so of course I love all things pop culture. But I also love the segment at the end of the show where the contributors share what’s making them happy this week. I love it so much that I’m stealing it (with proper accreditation of course)! You’ll see a post about what’s making me happy every Friday. Bearing in mind that I love to make promises about posting and then immediately break them. I’ll try to stick to the Pop Culture Happy Hour rules of sharing things that everyone can enjoy, but since this is my blog, I’ll also share some personal stuff as well.
So here we go! What’s making me happy this week:
I made it through surgery!Granted, most of you didn’t even know I was having surgery. I’m not big on talking about things that I’m super anxious about before they happen. I had minor outpatient surgery on Thursday and everything went great. I spent a lot of time worrying and fretting over it, but in the end it was no big deal. The anesthesia was a little bit freaky. And the outfit left a lot to be desired. But I’m feeling much better today than I expected to, so getting it over with and having an easy recovery are definitely making me happy. Believe it or not, I’m even looking forward to going back to work on Monday!
SuperBetter! I heard about SuperBetter on the TED Radio Hour podcast. [NB: Yes, I listen to a lot of podcasts. I commute 10 hours per week.] SuperBetter turns getting healthy or feeling happy into a game. You complete quests, you activate power-ups and you battle bad guys. It’s awesome! And it’s more fun with friends, so download the iPhone app and send me an ally request.
Movies with friends!Flick Buddies is a lot of fun. Kelly and I got together this afternoon to watch Marnie (review coming on Sunday) as part of July’s Hitchcock theme. Every movie – no matter how horrible – is better when watched with a friend. After our Hitchcock matinée, Kelly talked me into watching Children of the Corn, a movie that has haunted me since childhood. It didn’t hold up well and only my young age when I first saw it can explain why it affected me so. It’s a ridiculous movie, but when you have a friend to laugh about it with, even ridiculous movies are awesome. Thanks, Kelly!
My goal is to do a Flick Buddies post every Sunday. I don’t even know why I’m telling you this because if you’ve read my blog for any amount of time, we both know that sticking to my goals is not my strong suit. But still, for now that’s the plan. Four movies a month, four Sundays. It seems like a workable plan. That I will likely screw up next Sunday.
I read Rebecca for the first time last year, and I wanted to see the film version, so this was a natural choice for me. Rebecca was Alfred Hitchcock’s first Hollywood-made film (1940) and his only film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. I love every Hitchcock film I’ve ever seen and I loved the novel, so I was expecting big things from this movie.
I wasn’t exactly disappointed. But I didn’t love this film the way I love Rear Window or Vertigo. And it’s hard for me to explain just why that is. The movie is a very faithful adaptation of the Daphne du Maurier novel. Perhaps knowing all the twists and turns to come ruined it a bit for me. There was one notable change to the plot that I won’t spoil for you, but apparently was required by the Motion Picture Production Code. [NB: The moral censorship standards of the past are interesting reading, and hard to imagine passing muster today given the current state of the movie industry.]
Laurence Olivier makes a great Maxim de Winter. Joan Fontaine gets a bit annoying as his naïve and innocent bride. Hitchcock’s Mrs. Danvers is much younger than her literary counterpart, but the creep factor is just as high. Judith Anderson does a great job in the role.
My biggest complaint about the film was the pacing. The build-up is very slow, and then the entire resolution feels rushed. But honestly, it’s a terrific film. I just hold Alfred Hitchcock to a higher standard than most. I expected to love Rebecca and when I only liked it instead, I found it lacking.
Very interested to see what my fellow Flick Buddies have to say about it!
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