Only Hitchcock can begin a film this way: as the opening credits roll, we read a sign in the window of a travel agency: “If you love life, you’ll love France.” Then, it cuts to a close-up and a woman screaming: “My jewels! I’ve been robbed!” This is a story about a retired jewel thief living peacefully on the French Riviera, until he becomes the primary suspect in a new wave of robberies. Well, it takes a thief to catch a thief, and on the way to catching the one responsible for this latest crime wave, he meets two tourists from America: a mother and her daughter….
In To Catch a Thief, one of Alfred Hitchcock’s greatest hits, the master of suspense showed his more romantic side. What really makes the film are two actors who worked with him in the past. Cary Grant brings his sophisticated charm, while Grace Kelly brings her stunning beauty; together, the two have a rare chemistry thanks to which it was possible to plant daring sexual innuendo into the prudish Hollywood cinema of the time.
