NOTORIOUS - IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE

There are some things in life that you can pretty much guess most people will like. I mean, there are exceptions but some things, as far as the human condition goes, is a generalized like or dislike. Chocolate for instance. Now, a small number of women actually dislike chocolate (no, really, Mom for instance). However generally, women like chocolate. Or waking up with an alarm clock. I’m guessing pretty much most people hate this, then again there’s no accounting for taste of course… In circles of cinema, take Alfred Hitchcock. Again, to each his own but I reckon most of us like Hitchcock, no? His are truly good quality thrillers (or comedies – yes there are some, “There’s Something About Harry” for instance), usually starring classic actors, good solid story lines and an atmosphere you can cut with a spoon. Notorious is no different. Starring film legends Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman in addition to the already legendary Hitchcock, I mean be honest, what more COULD you want from a Saturday night thriller…
Florida, 1946. Alicia Huberman(Ingrid Bergman) is the daughter of a Nazi. Her father has been tried for treason and charged. They are estranged for she loves the United States of which they are both citizens. But her father has associates and friends – now living in Brazil. The police know they are “up to something” but they are not quite sure what. They also think Alicia might be “convinced” to help them. Alicia becomes convinced and more when she meets her contact in the secret services - Mr. Devlin(Carey Grant). They click right away; but there is a problem. Devlin is a decent, upstanding chap, whereas Alicia has a “reputation”. She drinks too much and she flirts too much. She claims love has changed her and swears her loyalty to Devlin but before long his faith is tested severely. Alicia’s “job” is to “get close” to Alexander Sebastian, a prominent German businessman who is in the center of the secret proceedings. She succeeds; however, her success in this area means losing Devlin who she truly loves. Unfortunately, the place her heart lies barely comes into it; if the Nazi group finds out she is spying on them it may well cost her her life… Will Devlin and Alicia’s love stand these trials? And more importantly, will Alicia come out of the whole affair alive?
Well, in the hands of the master the most glamorous party turns into a nail – biter, the most dashing gent may well be a murderer and an innocent damsel a wily little so and so ready to ruin you… So it is with Notorious. This classy 40’s flick is old fashioned Hollywood at its finest. Adventure, baddies dashing, brave /beautiful hero(ine)s… A seemingly doomed love affair that may cost the lovers their lives… You know what I’m on about. This is why I like watching old black and white movies you see. You actually get to watch an adventure film or a thriller. You know what I mean, look at modern films; I mean adventure films these days are nothing more than a very skimpy excuse to show off the latest 3D / HD technology. Thrillers? CGI, monsters, plenty of gore. Special effects and Makeup Oscars ® all round. All this is well and good and of course in cinema today we need a bit of that as well but what happened to the film itself? You know what I mean, the thing you’re left with when you strip away the special effects. There has to be substance in that as well, and I don’t necessarily mean in “art movies” or “psychological dramas”. No, thrillers should have class as well… Otherwise, in some cases anyway, the “film” is nothing more than an insult to one’s intelligence. And I don’t give a flying foxglove how old that makes me sound…