Rio Hayward
All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
Suman Roberson
It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.
Nayan Gough
A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.
Hitchcoc
Hitchcock is the master, no matter what subject matter. He did have a propensity for spy stuff, however. In this one, the U.S. has not entered the war. Joel McRae is a foreign correspondent who gets in thick with a man who is a pacifist. He is led into a web of intrigue with murders and murder coverups. Identity and mistaken identity. Love for real and love for convenience. It also has the great Hitchcock method of using famous landmarks for things to happen. In this case it is Westminster Abby. It's a buffet of wonderful visual delights, including the incredible umbrella scene. Don't miss this.
Leofwine_draca
Right from the start I knew I loved this movie. It's truly a Hitchcock classic, miles ahead of the last fluffy outing I saw from the director – STAGE FRIGHT – and a film with all the elements: mystery, suspense, romance, thrills, chills, and more besides. The globetrotting story sees our innocuous hero – Joel McCrea, playing one of Hitchcock's most appealing leading men – travelling to Holland and becoming involved with spies and conspirators. This is a film where nobody is who they seem to be and the action is thoroughly engaging. In some ways it reminds me of an early predecessor to the Bourne films: our hero's always on the move, outwitting sinister agents at every angle and narrowly avoiding death along the way too.The film is punctuated with vivid set-pieces. The early assassination sequence is shocking and gruesome, and it leads into a thrilling car chase. Then there's an extraordinarily suspenseful sequence inside a creaking windmill where our hero tries not to get caught – brilliant stuff indeed that defines the very word 'suspense'. Then there's the escape from the hotel room, the wonderful interlude in which our hero is accompanied by a bodyguard who's secretly out to kill him (one of the funniest things I've ever seen and the perfect mixture of laughs and thrills), a grisly torture scene, and even a major plane crash thrown in at the climax. Of course, all these moments are directed to the hilt by Hitchcock and among his best work.The cast is assured and indeed there isn't a bum performance among them. Particularly noteworthy are Herbert Marshall in a difficult role and a cocky George Sanders as a fellow reporter. I have to say, though, that Edmund Gwenn is the scene-stealer here as the immensely likable assassin. He's only in the film ten minutes but those ten minutes help to make the movie. Brilliant stuff indeed.
elvircorhodzic
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT is a film in which he weaved extremely clever propaganda. The director is certainly in favor walked fact that some former things by accident, but markedly coincide. Hitch is merry and made a decent war spy thriller. Probability and randomness are so neglected that the torques acting illogically. However, uncertainty is at his level. The film is a great and exciting if I squinted on one eye. The film is certainly a fiction and does not call into question the neutrality of the United States, but the interaction between the Allies and the Nazis determined its role.„Keep those Lights burning?!"The journalist, diplomat and politician keywords. Hitch, deliberately avoiding the word spy or a traitor to the very end of the film. Of course, the director once again soften the effect of that profession in the phenomenal scene to bring the plane down. The theory is clear. Americans are all that is needed in Europe during the war. It is not logical and is a little bit exaggerated. Americans just waiting for the right real news. I will be more specific information .... or cry. It is not logical and is a little bit exaggerated. Americans just waiting for the right real news. I will be more specific information .... or cry. It is interesting the way to join two journalists. Perhaps there is distrust, but cooperation is key of counteraction.The acting is good. I would point out a very good performance of George Sanders. The suspense and excitement in Hitchcock's films simply attract. Humor is so genuine and healthy. I must admit that from the director did not expect the final dose of nationalism. However, this is probably the essence and purpose.
seymourblack-1
Excitement, suspense and humour are just a few of the hallmarks of this high-speed espionage thriller that does such a great job of entertaining from start to finish. With numerous plot twists and dialogue that's sharp and witty, the interest level never drops and no doubt, this contributed to making "Foreign Correspondent" the great commercial and critical success that it eventually became. Over the years, it's become one of Alfred Hitchcock's most under-appreciated films, probably for the simple reason that it's been overshadowed by his numerous great achievements in the years that followed. The fact remains however that, especially for a movie released in 1940, it's technically impressive, full of interesting characters and contains a number of very memorable set pieces.In 1939, Mr Powers (Harry Davenport), the aptly-named editor of the "New York Globe" is utterly exasperated by the lack of hard news that he's getting from his European correspondents about the growing threat of war and so decides to send a crime reporter to find out exactly what's happening. The reporter he chooses for the job is Johnny Jones (Joel McCrea), a young brash and politically naïve character who says "give me an expense account and I'll cover anything". Powers renames his new foreign correspondent, Huntley Haverstock and immediately instructs him to leave for London to attend a conference being held by the Universal Peace Party at which the eminent Dutch diplomat, Van Meer (Albert Bassermann) is due to speak.On his way to the event, Haverstock has the good fortune to meet Van Meer and shares a taxi with him but the old man is totally uninterested in talking about political matters and so doesn't provide Haverstock with any useful information. At the conference, the young American meets Carol Fisher (Laraine Day), the daughter of Stephen Fisher (Herbert Marshall) who's the peace organisation's leader and is shocked when Van Meer doesn't turn up to speak to the audience, apparently because he'd been called to attend another conference in Amsterdam. The determined reporter decides to go to Amsterdam to follow Van Meer's activities and is then drawn into a frantic sequence of events when he witnesses a shocking assassination, gets involved is a car chase and in a windmill in the Dutch countryside, discovers that Van Meer has been kidnapped and drugged by a suspicious-looking group of men.After Van Meer and his captors suddenly disappear, Haverstock returns to London with Carol who he'd met with her friend Scott ffolliott (George Sanders) during the car chase. Haverstock and Carol fall in love and plan to marry but when they return to Carol's home and Haverstock sees one of the men from the windmill with her father, he strongly suspects that Stephen Fisher is a Nazi agent and with the help of ffolliott attempts to rescue Van Meer and expose Fisher as a traitor. The events that follow then put Haverstock in some life-threatening situations before he's eventually in a position to try to get his story back to his newspaper in New York.The way in which the assassination is carried out in this movie is truly shocking and the suspense generated during Haverstock's time in the windmill where he's trying to avoid being seen by Van Meer's captors is tremendous. There's also a brilliantly filmed plane crash which is remarkably realistic as is another tense scene involving a high-level escape from a hotel room.Joel McCrea does well as an ordinary guy who's totally out of his depth in his new job and George Sanders, Laraine Day and Albert Bassermann are all excellent in their supporting roles."Foreign Correspondent" which is overtly anti-Nazi and made a strong appeal for the United States to end its policy of neutrality, made its point so effectively that it even drew great praise from Joseph Goebbels who was the German Minister of Propaganda at the time! Whilst the propaganda content of the film is clearly a reflection of the time in which it was made, its terrific combination of adventure, comedy and romance is so enjoyable that its enduring appeal is guaranteed.
