To Catch A Thief [Blu-Ray]

To Catch a Thief is neither Hitchcock's most famous (Psycho) nor his most critically acclaimed (Vertigo) film. Yet at the time of its release, it was one of his most commercially successful, no doubt due to the popularity of its stars: Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. The story centres upon a jewel thief known as the Cat, who terrorizes wealthy socialites along the French Riviera. Heavily suspected to be behind the robberies, retired thief and former member of the French resistance John Robie (Grant) goes undercover to catch the real criminal and clear his name, falling in with Francie Stevens (Kelly), who falls for Robie even while accusing him of stealing her mother's jewels. Plot-driven and lacking the psychological thrills Hitchcock is most often associated with, To Catch a Thief is still a tightly paced, suspenseful and beautifully shot film. The major knock against it is that 57 years since its release, its central premise ― the wrongly accused man who sets out to clear his name ― has become a tired cinematic cliché and the mystery could be (and probably was) reduced to a Scooby Doo plot. But working from a strong script filled with cheeky dialogue, the film has enough wit to keep even the most cynical viewer interested. The Blu-Ray looks gorgeous, bringing out the sharp quality of Robert Burks' cinematography, which won him an Academy Award. Extras include several making-of features, a To Catch a Thief appreciation short with members of Hitchcock's family, a featurette on Hollywood censorship and Hitchcock's clever ways around the MPAA, and commentary with Hitchcock film historian Drew Casper. A well-acted and enjoyable film even today, To Catch a Thief finds Hitchcock playing both commercial director and auteur, doing both exceptionally well.