Kelly WandDial M For Murder
September 27th 2006 02:41
That nice Grace Kelly isn’t quite as sweet as she looks. She’s in love with Robert Cummings even though she’s married to Ray Milland. But who could blame her? Milland plays the kind of character who puts the scum back into the bag. We are told that he used to play Tennis but just a glance tells you that Wimbledon must have had far lower standards in the days of yore.
Even though Grace is in love with another, she has stood by her man. More fool her, because Ray wants to murder her for money. That’s it. There’s your story. Most of it happens in the one room and that reveals the films origins on the stage. It could have been as dull as dishwater if it wasn’t for the fact that Alfred Hitchcock is the director of “Dial M for Murder” and he isn’t going to waste a single frame in a quest to rack up the tension another notch.
Even my fourteen year old son was impressed and, when I reach for a DVD, he invariably asks old or new? Anything before the dawn of this millennium and he generally groans in disgust at my old-fartism. If I select a film that is older than I am, the groans are that much louder. He, however, does not complain if it’s a Hitchcock.
Hitchcock really knew how to work an audience. In this film, he lays the murder out and then watches as the scheme teeters on the brink of unravelling. We almost find ourselves willing the vile scheme on… Though right invariably triumphs in his films, Hitchcock always had the touch of an anarchist about him. Your never entirely sure if he’s not going to go over to the dark side. In “Rear Window”, he even succeeded in making Jimmy Stewart appear vaguely unwholesome and that takes some doing.
I don’t want to tell you much about the plot. This is a fairly short film and you can watch it easily. You should. If you’ve never watched a Hitchcock film, this is a great place to start. They really don’t make them like this any more no matter how hard they try. If you’ve seen a Hitchcock but you haven’t seen this one, it should be the next film you hire. If you’ve seen it fifty or sixty times before, you will know – as I do – that this is a film that neither time nor repeated viewing can weary. Go rent it again. Better yet buy it. It’s doing the rounds for ten bucks at the moment.
By way of spoiler, I offer you this. Alfred Hitchcock’s cameo appearance occurs (don’t read this if you don’t want to know) in the class reunion photograph.
Even though Grace is in love with another, she has stood by her man. More fool her, because Ray wants to murder her for money. That’s it. There’s your story. Most of it happens in the one room and that reveals the films origins on the stage. It could have been as dull as dishwater if it wasn’t for the fact that Alfred Hitchcock is the director of “Dial M for Murder” and he isn’t going to waste a single frame in a quest to rack up the tension another notch.
Even my fourteen year old son was impressed and, when I reach for a DVD, he invariably asks old or new? Anything before the dawn of this millennium and he generally groans in disgust at my old-fartism. If I select a film that is older than I am, the groans are that much louder. He, however, does not complain if it’s a Hitchcock.
Hitchcock really knew how to work an audience. In this film, he lays the murder out and then watches as the scheme teeters on the brink of unravelling. We almost find ourselves willing the vile scheme on… Though right invariably triumphs in his films, Hitchcock always had the touch of an anarchist about him. Your never entirely sure if he’s not going to go over to the dark side. In “Rear Window”, he even succeeded in making Jimmy Stewart appear vaguely unwholesome and that takes some doing.
I don’t want to tell you much about the plot. This is a fairly short film and you can watch it easily. You should. If you’ve never watched a Hitchcock film, this is a great place to start. They really don’t make them like this any more no matter how hard they try. If you’ve seen a Hitchcock but you haven’t seen this one, it should be the next film you hire. If you’ve seen it fifty or sixty times before, you will know – as I do – that this is a film that neither time nor repeated viewing can weary. Go rent it again. Better yet buy it. It’s doing the rounds for ten bucks at the moment.
By way of spoiler, I offer you this. Alfred Hitchcock’s cameo appearance occurs (don’t read this if you don’t want to know) in the class reunion photograph.
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