Alfred Hitchcock is still one of my favorite story tellers. Spellbound was on the other day and I had to watch it. It stars Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck and takes place in an asylum- well as crazy as in-patient care was in the 40's.
Bergman plays a psychiatrist who has a cold demeanor but who is very dedicated to her psychoanalysis of her patients. A new famous shrink who comes into town, played by Peck. Bergman. She suddenly thaws in his presence and a romance ensues. The twist is that Peck could be a murder masquerading as a psychiatrist and Bergman uses her expertise to help him snap out of his convenient amnesia. But will it reveal an innocent patient or a murderer?
Even though I'm used to past-paced action scenes with things blowing up and super witty dialogue in order to create suspense, this movie still holds my attention and I didn't feel as though I missed a thing. There were no elaborate screams or special effects, just some good old entertainment.
Some of my favorite Hitchcock works are: Strangers on a Train, Vertigo, Rear Window, North by Northwest and Notorious. And if you've never seen ROPE, see it. It takes place in one apartment for the whole movie but the suspense is not lost. This goes to show you that a good story can hold up against today's blockbusters. And sometimes it's just nice to bring the sex, violence and bad language down a few notches.
Worth the money rating: $$$$
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