North by Northwest

Mind-boggling, frightening, and well-crafted, "North by Northwest" is some of director Alfred Hitchcock's best work. With guns, mistaken identities, a beautiful blonde, a national monument, not to mention a bottle of bourbon, the movie reaches to the depths of uncertainty and suspense to put you on one ride you'll never forget and perhaps one you'll be questioning for the rest of your days.

Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) is Mr. Popularity, with important friends, a zest for fun, a society mother, and a wad of money. Some henchmen mistake him, while he is on a business lunch, for George Kaplan, a secret agent for whom they are searching. As he tries to escape from their grasp, and while they try to get him off their hands, he finds himself wanting to know more about this mysterious Kaplan fellow. On a quest to learn more about the henchmen and their leader, he gets framed for murder by the henchmen and soon finds himself hopping all over the Midwest to find the killers and Kaplan so the secret agent can explain things.

While on the run, Thornhill encounters Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint), who helps him narrowly escape the police in one run-in. She soon finds herself on the adventure with the fugitive as he soon finds himself losing not only his reputation, but his heart as well.

Throughout Thornhill's quest to clear himself and find out what is going on, "North by Northwest" depicts a man's journey of proving himself and showing just who he is. Is Roger Thornhill just a rich socialite or is there something more to this city man?

The acting in this movie is impeccable, with some characters easily fooling you as well as others in the film. Hitchcock's direction comes through as the plot twists and turns, throwing you off course and in different directions. The crop duster scene, one of Hitchcock's most popular pieces of work, scares you and increases your yearning to know just exactly who these people are and what they want.

With a strong plot, good-looking actors and no road map, "North by Northwest" is definitely one movie you don't want to pass up. It will surprise you, leave you hanging and begging for more.