Dial M for Murder (1954)

Suspense is the name of the game in 'Dial M For Murder (1954)' and it is dealt out in spades, each scene oozing it to the point where this stage-play adaptation is practically busting at the seams with the anticipatory, string-dangling stuff. While there's a lot of talking and expository dialogue, that's simply because of the single location and the commitment to stick to it - aside from a few asides in a single scene where cutaways are necessary to enhance the plot and, more importantly, the tension - while also just 'shooting the material', as Hitchcock put it, so as not to 'ruin' what was already a captivating and clever source story. 'Just shooting' is to Hitchcock what 'working for a lifetime to achieve a mastery of your craft' is to anybody else, though. Indeed, it is well known that this wasn't one of Hitchcock's favourite and one that the studio essentially forced him to do. He once said, to a room full of journalists, that he could've "phoned it in." This was almost certainly said in irony but I don't know what's worse: if it was or if it wasn't. There's no denying that Hitchcock, whatever you think about him personally, was a master of his craft and even this, one that he didn't care for as greatly as something like 'Rear Window (1954)' or 'Vertigo (1958)', is shot to perfection. It really is an astutely directed picture, one in which each frame is set up to make the most of every situation, and every moment truly is as taut and 'edge-of-your-seat' as it could possibly have been. The overall narrative is remarkably unconventional - since it essentially puts a 'villain' in the role of protagonist - and manages to switch our sympathies superbly, sometimes within seconds, so that every character is as empathetic as the last and there is no clear 'hero', as well as no moral compass other than that of our own. Plus, that murder sequence truly is one of the most intense and nail-biting of its kind. 8/10

This movie has a great story line for the fifties and when he explains how he is going to plan her murder in detail is just mind blowing. Hitchcock had an amazing way of putting this movie together, but one thing I didn't really like was how cheesy the guys death was other than that i really didn't have much to complain about. Also when the main actor is blackmailing the guy it kind of draws your attention and has you thinking what going to happen next. I highly recommend watching this movie you wont be disappointed.

I really have never been able to like Grace Kelly - everything I have seen her in seems to be the same character. There are lots of movie stars from that era that are the same but she is just annoying. That said Dial M for Murder is a satisfying plot, obviously from the stage originally but it works on film. Robert Cummings is another milk-white nonentity in this movie who fits well as Kelly's lover - the best thing about it is Ray Milland, a somewhat underrated actor. John Williams , too is excellent as the inspector and provides the undercurrent of humour throughout what is quite a dark tale. Hitchcock manages to draw out whatever suspense there is in the story - it is after all, his area of expertise.

Its starts with a man who decides to murder his wife because she had an affair the year before. He blackmails an old college associate to strangle her. But things don't go according to plan and then he has to come up with a brilliant plan B. This is certainly the best Hitchcock thriller that I've seen. The whole story remains right before our eyes without any plot holes. It has the capability to keep its audience on the edge of their seats throughout the 105 minutes running time.