To Catch a Thief (1955)

Great Film overall

Don't listen to the negative reviews

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

'To Catch a Thief' might be mediocre by Hitchcock standard, and it is another departure from his usual suspense storytelling. Nonetheless it is enjoyable movie with plenty of mystery, suspense (only Hitchcock manages to end lighthearted comedy with such thrilling final scene) and of course humor.It is one of those movies where story, although strong, isn't the main attraction - but the characters. Or, in this case, the actors. The chemistry between Cary Grant and gorgeous Grace Kelly (oh, they don't make movie stars like that anymore) is just fantastic experience to watch. Cleverly written and magnificently delivered snappy dialogue causes many chuckles and even couple of loud laughs. Although it might be little outdated, but it still holds up very well and offers a viewer nice memorable movie experience. Perfect entertainment.

Alfred Hitchcock films usually fall into one of two categories: either they are taught, tense thrillers (e.g. Psycho), or they contain a lot of "eye candy" in both the acting and cinematography department. "To Catch A Thief" falls mostly in that second category.For a basic plot summary, this film focuses on retired jewel thief John Robie (Cary Grant), who may or may not be continuing his string of past burglaries (or is he being framed?). Along the way, Robie meets and falls hard for Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly).There are many things about this movie to enjoy. It is (as befitting a Kelly flick) "high fashion, high society" all the way, with diamonds and ball gowns figuring heavily into the screenplay. Kelly and Grant both play the exact same persona they are known for, but do so perfectly. There is romance, humor, and a whole lot of tuxedos/gowns.However, those into Hitchcock for his plots/suspense will be disappointed when, after a strong start, the film loses its dramatic steam about half way through. In a rare Hitch faux pas, the suspense kernel of the film is resolved roughly at the midpoint, allowing the "society" stuff to dominate the rest of the way.Overall, this is very much more of a light-hearted Hitchcock effort. It has a bit of decent plot, but this one is all about the actors and their high-society roles. If you like that kind of filmmaking, then this one will be a real treat for you. If not, it will just be so-so.

TO CATCH A THIEF is one solid mix between an entertaining thriller, a elegant romance and a healthy comedy. The main protagonist is a former burglar and jewel thief. On the French Riviere, in a luxury hotel a theft of jewelry was committed in a way peculiar to the main character of this film. He will try to prove his innocence in a simple way. It takes a thief to catch a thief. However, the rich and beautiful women can be helpful also ...Scenery is amazing. Well, they used authentic locations. I must admit that I expected a more exciting movie. I would describe this movie as a thriller for a noble society. How much jewelry and gems can be exciting, their stealing is more exciting. A comedy and romance with quite a lot of chemistry have saved this movie. The atmosphere is very bright and it is perhaps Hitchcock's failure. However, as a significant change in relation to his distinctive style, when thrillers are concerned, this is not so bad.Characterization is good. Cary Grant as John Robie ("The Cat") is the eternal seducer and charmer. His role is too obvious. I think that his character lacks a bit of mystery. Grace Kelly as Frances Stevens was a real lady, spoiled daughter and exciting adventuress at the same time. In this film, Ms. Kelly is superior. Mr. Grant and Miss Kelly do grandly, especially in one sly seduction scene.John Williams as H. H. Hughson is a serious character. In some scenes, in his expression was visible anxiety. Jessie Royce Landis as Jessie Stevens is the comedian in this case. A rich woman, which is eager for excitement. Brigitte Auber as Danielle Foussard is a character who introduces a little of European charm and a „thievery" in the film.To Catch a Thief is a strange game between cats and mice. Cats are too much for mice. However, on the French board there is is no room for two cats.

In 1955, Cary Grant worked with Alfred Hitchcock yet again, as the two have a much-celebrated collaboration with each other, working together on four films and forging a fantastic working relationship. The third film in their repertoire was To Catch a Thief. Also starring Grace Kelly, To Catch a Thief tells the tale of a former jewelry thief who is blamed for a string of heists occurring in the area. In what appears to be a film made for its location alone, To Catch a Thief was an interesting installment in the standard Hitchcock fair of an innocent man being blamed for crimes he did not commit.After retiring from the lucrative profession of cat burglary, John Robie's (Cary Grant) life is interrupted by a copycat robber. The imposter has perfected Robie's M.O. convincing police and citizens that he is behind the new string of jewel theft of millionaires on the French Riviera. After working hard to convince local law enforcement agencies that he is not the one behind the thefts, Robie volunteers to help track down the real thief and simultaneously prove his innocence. In the process of tracking down the thief, Robie befriends a wealthy American widow and her daughter Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly), as they are believed to be targets of the copycat jewel thief. When their jewels are stolen while Robie is an overnight guest in their hotel room, Frances immediately blames him. Her mother believes he is innocent, however, and does a great deal more than just plead his case of innocence to her daughter. The most surreal part of Alfred Hitchcock's and Cary Grant's multiple film collaboration is that they were able to work with each other. I would never have pictured their personalities meshing with each other well enough to work together on four films. Although I am no Cary Grant fan, and am certainly tired of what he was doing by 1955, simply playing Cary Grant, I did find his acting and the dialogue exchange between he and Grace Kelly thoroughly enjoyable. Grace Kelly was just a divine actress, classy and subtly confident, a true joy to watch in every film she was in. Hitch's experiments with colors, that he noted in his several interviews with Francois Truffaut, seems to be going strong in To Catch a Thief with the green tinting used throughout. Every Hitchcock film comes with the added joy of finding the director's cameo, and there was certainly not much work to do in this film. In possibly the most overt cameo on the director's list, the audience sees the director on a tram, with Cary Grant turning to face him. Overall, I had a hard time engaging with To Catch a Thief. I was mainly pulled out of the film due to its elaborate yet unneeded location shooting. The story isn't one that begged to be told on the French Riviera leaving one to wonder if the film wasn't shot there just so Hitchcock could enjoy a vacation; one that he was more than deserving of at this time in his career. Most of the film, being very listlessly dialogue driven was quite boring, only gaining in excitement near the end of the film. Hitchcock was a master of his craft, and focused a lot on the endings of his films, for To Catch a Thief, one is thankful for that focus.