By MARKO PERIC

This week -- two reviews for the price of one!

North by Northwest Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock 1959. 136 minutes, colour. PG

After some considera- tion, I have decided to change this column somewhat. Oh, Pll stillreview classic old mov- ies, that is after all the whole purpose of the column. But I like more recent films as well, as demonstrated by recent re- views of The Princess Bride and Blade Runner. So, to be true to the original purpose of the column, | will stick to re- viewing “old” films. How- ever, I willalso includea mini- review of a newer film that I feel is similar to the featured classic. This should keep eve- ryone happy. Also, I would like to thank the good people at Blockbuster Video for provid- ing free movie rentals from their extensive selection. But without further ado, on with the column.

Roger Thornhill (Grant) isa Madison Avenue advertis- ing exec, who works too hard and drinks too much. He is kidnapped by two thugs who mistake him fora Mr. Kaplan, a government agent, and take him to their boss, Van Damme (James Mason, not to be con- fused with everyone’s favour- ite kickboxer, street fighter, and universal soldier). Need- less to say, Thornhill is not privy to the government se- crets Van Damme wants. When he does not cooperate, they decide to kill him. To

make it look like an accident,

his captors get him drunk and

put him in acar ona mountain

road. However, Thornhill holds

his liquor quite well, and so-

bers up enough to hit a police

car instead of driving off a

cliff. The police do not believe

his story about being abducted,

and Van Damme’s men cover

theirtracks perfectly. His only

recourse is to find Mr. Kaplan,

who has apparently gone to

Chicago. Van Damme’s men

want him out of the way, so

they frame him for a murder.

Now, with the thugs and the police after him, Thornhill takes the train to Chicago. En route he spends the night with a beautiful girl (Saint) who hides him from the police. Upon arrival, she helps him arrange a meeting with Kaplan, but it turns out to be a trap.

That is more than enough of the plot. The frantic pace continues for the next half ofthe film, with Thornhill trying to find Kaplan, gunning for Van Damme, and not cer- tain whether he can trust the girlhemetonthetrain. You’ll have to watch it to see how it ends up.

Acting: Saint and Ma- son are good, as are several of the minor characters, but Cary Grant really steals the show. From annoyed kidnapped Ad- man, to curious sleuth, to tem- porary government agent, his acting is superb. Few actions could keep up with Hitchcock’s frantic pace, but Grant has no difficulties. One other person who deserves mention is Mar- tin Landau, who is wonderful as Van Damme’ s ice-cold right hand man.

The Panther Prints

Direction: Hitchcock was the master of suspense thrillers, and North by North- west is among his best. He keeps the film at a break-neck pace, and uses countless lo- cales, ranging from acornfield to Mt. Rushmore. Despite all the activity, the action almost always follows Cary Grant’s character, so itisn’t difficult to keep track of all that’s going on. Unlike some of Hitchcock’s best known films, notably The Birds and Psy- cho, this isn’t especially scary. It is exciting, however, and Hitchcock has made it very re-watchable. In fact, you will have to see it at least twice before you understand every- thing that takes place.

Memorable Scenes: Half of the movie could be listed in this category. Par- ticularly good are the cornfield scene and the drunk driving scene. For humour, the scene at the auction in Chicago is

great. Grant is hilarious in his escape from Van Damme’s clutches. Also, the finale at Mt. Rushmore is definitely im- pressive.

Best Lines: Everything Grant says is priceless, but probably his best line is “I’ve got a mother, a secretary, two ex-wives and several bartend- ers dependent on me. I can’t disappoint them by ending up slightly killed.”

Bottom Line: Frantic and fun, with plenty of excite- ment. Hitchcock at his best. Need I say more?

Available: At Block- buster for sure, and probably at Plaza and That’s Entertain- ment as well. I have doubts about the smaller stores.

February 11, 1997

Recent Comparison:

Mission Impossible Tom Cruise, Jon Voight,

Emmanuelle Beart.

Directed by Brian De Palma

1996. 110 minutes. Colour.

PG-13.

I know, at a glance the twoseenentirely different. But, both arethrillers featuring dash- ingly handsome heroes framed for crimes they did not com- mit. Both heroes get involved with beautiful women who may or may not be trustworthy, and both have to contend with gov- ernment agencies that “don’t exist” while avoiding the clutches of scheming crimi- nals.

Aswell, the directors are veterans who know how to pace a film at break-neck speed without confusing view- ers, and toss in a little brilliant comic relief. And both films keep you glued to your seats for roughly two hours. If you liked one, watch the other.

BADIA

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