You know what may be Hitchcock’s least appreciated strength? Pacing. This movie, like a lot of the old master’s movies, moves. The story gets right into it and doesn’t waste the viewer’s time. The result is a film that comes across as sharp and exciting and kinetic, even though the presentation is—with the exception of the one key scene—largely static, and indeed mostly confined to one set. Thus, the entertainment value here is high even if you are not particularly a fan of mystery or suspense stories. You barely have time to appreciate the fine performances by Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings and especially Ray Milland, whose smug self-confidence really sells the story. That story is exceptional, too, in its audacity; the script tell the audience exactly how things are supposed to go, tells you that everything won’t go according to plan, and then shows you exactly all that—and still plays it out in a way that comes across as spontaneous. It’s a neat trick. Great stuff and well worth watching.
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