Sunday 26 October 2014

Marnie (3 Stars)


A decent woman don't have need for any man.

Margaret Edgar, nicknamed Marnie, is a habitual thief. She uses her good looks to get jobs despite her lack of references. When the boss trusts her she robs the company, after which she runs away to another state and starts again with a new name and new identity. This goes well until her boss at a publishing company, Mark Rutland, discovers her theft. Instead of reporting her to the police he blackmails her into marrying him. She refuses to consummate the marriage, because she doesn't like men, but he gives her time.

This was one of Alfred Hitchcock's least successful films, although critics have praised it as a masterpiece. In many ways it's similar to "Psycho", except that in this film the mad person is a woman. As usual, I agree with the viewing public. The film is low key, and every time the expectation of violence doesn't come about it's an anti-climax. On more than one occasion we expect Mark to force himself on Marnie and rape her, but he calms himself down at the last moment. On two occasions Marnie is holding a gun and we expect her to shoot someone, but nothing happens. The explanation scene at the end drags on too long.

No, fellow critics, this isn't a masterpiece.

"Does this suit make me look fat?"

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