This gorgeously touristic comedy thriller is beautifully photographed in Vistavision on the French Riviera. And only the most glamorous stars of its period would not be outshone by the chic locations. Alfred Hitchcock casts Cary Grant and Grace Kelly! This is pure Hollywood magic.
Grant (formerly of the Resistance!) protests he is not the cat burglar carrying out a series of jewel robberies in the fabulous hotels and chateaux of the super-rich, but no one believes him. Including the police. The star is in his absolute element with the racy screwball dialogue.
He outclasses the curiously awkward Grace Kelly, in the role she was surely born to play; a rich American on holiday on the Côte d'Azur looking for a suitable husband. She still catches the eye in those Edith Head costumes. And French actor Brigitte Auber makes an impression as her tomboyish rival.
It's completely weightless but so much fun. Including the visual innuendo of the firework display that signifies the stars' sexual congress. Hitch has left film noir behind and creates a genre of his own. This remains an indulgent treat. And the Vistavision looks amazing on HD television.