Notorious

"Notorious"
Alfred Hitchcock, 1946

There are two running narratives in "Notorious": one concerns the affair between a spy (Ingrid Bergman) and the handsome government agent (Cary Grant) who has recruited her; the other focuses on the spy's mission, which involves infiltrating a German businessman's operations in Rio de Janeiro by seducing him. "Notorious" is an effective work of romance and intrigue whose success hinges primarily on Alfred Hitchcock's seemingly effortless ability to craft an entertaining story with engaging, complex characters. Yet "Notorious" doesn't feel as memorable as Hitchcock's other films. Perhaps this is due to the streamlined nature of the tale itself - we enter the story at a logical place, and we leave it as soon as it's been taken to its logical conclusion.

Rating: 9

First Viewed: 8/31/08, on DVD - IMDb