Hitchcock had a rather annoying habit of re-filming his earlier black and white successes. This occasionally worked: this one does, principally because of his inspired casting of Doris Day as his regular 'cool blonde'. She is anything but cool……..principally because her new husband is an officious and domineering misogynist. How can anyone justify drugging their spouse into unconsciousness (when her son has been kidnapped)? This is the scene where Day is at her best, a best I never knew she had in her…………It could have been so easy to overplay the panic, but she never puts a moan wrong. Occasionally the acting is a little over the top in later scenes, but never to the detriment of the overall story.
The story? A country surgeon-doctor from rural USA (James Stewart) and his recently married wife (Doris Day), a former singer, are travelling through Northern Africa with their son (and don't ask me how he is about 7, because that isn't explained). Stewart accidentally finds out about an assignation attempt, and the son is kidnapped to keep Stewart quiet. The parents' attempts to find their son lead them through a number of well filmed and acted red-herrings….and eventually they arrive at not one, but two great climaxes, both of which feature Doris Day.
There are a number of twists of the story which would never pass muster in society today, but the story itself is sound and well worth watching. Just don't take its beliefs for your own!
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Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Bharat Nalluri, Rob Bailey, Andy Wilson - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner
Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
Re-rated based on Ciao's insistence that such reviews are no longer considered "Off Topic"
Soho_Black 02.08.2006 20:34
I see you've posted this as a DVD review, but you've not mentioned the DVD. Are there any extras? If so, what are they and are they any good? If you add to this, or if you change it to be posted as a "Film Only" review, which can be done by accessing "edit review" in the top right of the review and changing the drop down menu under the "Which format are you reviewing?" question at the bottom, please let me know and I'll re-rate.
HotBabes 01.08.2006 10:48
Welcome to Ciao. As you've stated you're reviewing the DVD it would be good if you could add details of the extras (if any) to your review. if not, toggle the 'which format are you reviewing' to film only. x
James Stewart and Doris Day, in a rare dramatic role, are superb in this brilliant ... more
suspense thriller from the undisputed master. Stewart and Day play Ben and Jo McKenna, innocent Americans vacationing in Morocco with their son, Hank. After a French spy...
James Stewart and Doris Day star in this exciting Hitchcock suspense yarn complete with ... more
murder assassination plots kidnapping and a hair raising climax. Dr Ben Mackenna (Stewart) and his wife Jo (Day) take their ten year old son on holiday to Morocco...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Advantages: Very entertaining in those days I'm sure... Disadvantages: but we're in the 21st century now
habitualdamnation 13.07.2005 (13.07.2005)
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