August 17, 2007

The Trouble with Harry (1955)

3/5

The Trouble with Harry is another one of Hitchcock's lighter films, but it doesn't work as well as his others. It doesn't play like a Hitchcock at all, but like a very British black comedy. As a Hitchcock, it's a bit disappointing; as a British black comedy, it's only slightly above average. The shot compositions were simple yet elegant, and the cinematography captured the colors beautifully. There are some very clever moments, some extremely witty dialogue, and a truly inspired red herring. But there are also pacing issues, worthless scenes, flat characters, and no build-up or anticipation. The characters' back stories were bland and the plot and dialogue often wandered into nonsense. And there's a score by Bernard Herrmann that, while good on its own, doesn't quite fit the mood of the piece. But I love the closing title card they use to replace THE END. If you want to know what it is, you'll have to watch it!

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0048750/