We got a Hitchcock movie here not involving birds, so it just gets right into the Moiduh! (that’s “murder” to us regular folk). While I like the use of the carnival for some of the plot, be warned there is an extended scene of two men playing tennis. Tennis? Maybe the suspense and violence of, say, a hockey match. I would go as far as to maybe even watch a little of that horse golf those richies like to play. But making me watch tennis? Fuck you, Mr. Hitchcock-knocker.
Two random socialites meet on a train, one a somewhat known tennis player and the other just a seemingly nice man at first but with a somewhat disturbing more-than-casual obsession with knocking off his wealthy father. His proposal to Mr Tennis is not taken seriously and the men go on their separate ways. But that creepy guy? He has other plans.
Hitchcock does an okay job with laying out the intrigue, but there’s something with many of his films where a lot of the people almost come off as caricatures, making the whole thing seem a bit campy. This may just be a product of the times but Hitchcock seems to ramp that up a bit, especially with the final big scene at the carnival, which doesn’t match the tone of the rest of the film. A few good camera shots through the movie, most particularly the Moiduh, but the bombastic score seems too prominent and out of place at times throwing off the mood. While a somewhat well-known film by Hitchcock, it ain’t necessarily his best. Haven’t seen it in awhile, but I think I prefer Danny DeVito’s take on the plot with Throw Momma from the Train. Mr. Tennis needs to stick to his day job and leave the Hardy Boys plot-cracking to the professionals.
