Dial M for Murder-***- Must-see- Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock. Written by: Frederick Knott (from his play), Starring: Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings, John Williams, Anthony Dawson.
Perhaps Hitchcock's talkiest thriller deals with a former tennis star (Milland) who hatches a pitch-perfect plan to kill his wife (Kelly). Yet when she kills her hit-man attacker, Milland must go to great lengths to cover his tracks from his wife's lover and an investigator.
Frederick Knott adapted his play for the screen, which is perfect fodder for Hitchcock's suspenseful interest in murder and wrong accusations. The marvelous thing about the film is the fact that Hitchcock is able to conceal the fact that the whole movie takes place in virtually one room. The quick and engaging dialogue by Knott and a stellar performance by Milland are the key attributes that hold the film together when it threatens to expose the theatrical approach other than cinema-tics.
Hitchcock already reveals the clues to the picture yet we are still fascinated over the course of the investigation because of how effective he is as a storyteller. The talky aspects and the limited cinema-tics of the picture may not appeal to everyone, but Hitchcock still crafts a noteworthy thriller worth discussing and re-watching like most of his pictures.
Perhaps Hitchcock's talkiest thriller deals with a former tennis star (Milland) who hatches a pitch-perfect plan to kill his wife (Kelly). Yet when she kills her hit-man attacker, Milland must go to great lengths to cover his tracks from his wife's lover and an investigator.
Frederick Knott adapted his play for the screen, which is perfect fodder for Hitchcock's suspenseful interest in murder and wrong accusations. The marvelous thing about the film is the fact that Hitchcock is able to conceal the fact that the whole movie takes place in virtually one room. The quick and engaging dialogue by Knott and a stellar performance by Milland are the key attributes that hold the film together when it threatens to expose the theatrical approach other than cinema-tics.
Hitchcock already reveals the clues to the picture yet we are still fascinated over the course of the investigation because of how effective he is as a storyteller. The talky aspects and the limited cinema-tics of the picture may not appeal to everyone, but Hitchcock still crafts a noteworthy thriller worth discussing and re-watching like most of his pictures.