My Grading System

A+ = Masterpiece (I hold back on this one.) / A = Great. / A- = Really Good. / B+ = Good. / B = Decent (Serviceable). / B- = Flawed but okay (For those times there's something redeeming about the work). / C+ = Not very good (Skip it). C = Bad. / C- = Awful. / F = Complete Disaster (I hold back on this one too).

Note on Spoilers: I will try to avoid ruining a story by going into too much detail. But if I wish to include some revealing points to my analysis I will try to remember to add a separate spoiler paragraph.

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Foreign Correspondent (1940)

Alfred Hitchcock's espionage thriller stars Joel McCrea (a year before his memorable work in Sullivan's Travels) as an American journalist caught up in a conspiracy involving the kidnapping of a Dutch diplomat before the coming of the second world war.  What makes this such a fun adventure, besides the incredible suspense and various Hitchcockian set pieces (big windmill or plane crash to name two), is the wonderful dry humor scattered about the film.   Whether it's McCrea's delivery or Robert Benchley's added wit, it never takes it self too seriously and yet like all Hitchcock films it stays unpredictable and exciting.  And it holds up even today, although it's clear the plot doesn't exactly make that much sense and is there just to juggle the characters about for entertainment stake.  Nominated for best picture, it's worth checking out especially if you're a fan of the Hitch.  Grade: B+
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