North by Northwest (1959)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Stars: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason
Runtime: 136 minutes

Synopsis: A New York City advertising executive goes on the run after being mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies.

Verdict: I remember doing a small Hitchcock marathon when I was in high school in which I watched his most famous work for the first time. And I remember finishing that marathon with the conclusion that, while I did not dislike any of his movies or even found any of them to be just fine, my least favorite classics of his were "Vertigo" and "North by Northwest". That was a long time ago, and with a recent rewatch of "Vertigo" proving to me that tastes can change over time, the timing was perfect to revisit the final and possibly most famous collaboration between Hitchcock and Cary Grant.

"North by Northwest", in simple terms, is what would've happened if Hitchcock was given the opportunity to direct a film in the Bond franchise. It's got all the ingredients of a spy thriller made popular by the British secret agent, including but not limited to an always pristine wardrobe, an eccentric villain supported by a silent henchman, a woman who becomes romantically involved with the protagonist (remember, this was made in the 1950s), and the occasional over-the-top action scene you can't help but smile at. All that, in addition to Hitchcock's masterful technical abilities and Cary Grant's unlimited charm, gave us perhaps one of the director's most entertaining entries in his rich filmography. Granted, it's not as thought-provoking as some of his work and it does drag a bit in its second act, but fans of the espionage genre will be more than satisfied with what he brings to the table. It's also one of Hitchock's funniest films, with the auction and police station scenes being absolutely hilarious thanks to Grant's perfect comedic delivery that never diverged from the dramatic context of these scenes.

Overall, and while I did find more things to appreciate about it, I still consider "North by Northwest" to be one of the legendary filmmaker's least interesting features purely because it doesn't ignite the conversation that most of his other films do. In other words, it's a great spy thriller with Hitchcockian touches that elevate it, but it's not the greatest Hitchcock film.

FINAL GRADE: 8/10