It’s rare to find a 50-year-old thriller whose peaks have not been blunted by over-familiarity.
Hitchcock’s North By Northwest — revived this week in sparkling high definition by the Astor — is one such beast.
When revisiting the classics, we usually feel an obligation to make allowances, in terms of pace, stunts and spectacle.
It’s tempting to say no such allowances are needed here.
Even by modern standards, it’s a cracking tale and superb entertainment.
The themes of shifting realities and twisting identities almost seem to pre-empt latter-day cerebral thrillers such as Christopher Nolan’s Memento and Inception.
That said, some slack must be cut. Cary Grant is, frankly, a bit rubbish.
His charisma ultimately wins over the viewer but it’s tempting to imagine how much better the film would have been with someone who could, well, act.
(There’s an unintentionally hilarious scene in which James Mason chides Grant’s character for being a terrible actor.)
Instead, the screen is stolen by Eva Marie Saint, who makes something bold and captivating out of a potentially slender role.
