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One of the worst movies I've ever seen

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

Absolutely brilliant

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

When I first saw "Notorious", the last five minutes left me angry. I felt sorry for Alex Sebastian, perhaps the most sympathetic of all Hitchcock's villains, to the point I even questioned his vileness.Indeed, he might be a former Nazi as far as the viewer is concerned (and with Hitchcock, he always is) but Sebastian never professes any pro-Nazi statement, never acts violently and unlike Captain Renault, Claude Rains for once plays a character whose heart is his most vulnerable spot, and it was enough to earn my sympathy... and the Academy's Oscar nomination. He's genuinely in love with Alicia Huberman unknowing that she's working for Devlin (Cary Grant) and the American government. And unlike his rival 'Dev', what Sebastian says does reflect how he feels and given how much time Grant and Bergman spend playing hide-and-seek with their feelings, that's good enough to appreciate Sebastian.I'm not the Cary Grant type, I never got the Bergman-type either so maybe that's why I empathize with a diminutive gentlemanly mamma's boy who wants to gets a girl out of his league, there's just something so innately pathetic in Sebastian. Even his decision to kill Alicia was dictated by self-preservation... and his domineering mom (Leopoldine Konstantin). So when he was begging Devlin and was shut off from the car with Alicia harboring a triumphant smirk, knowing what fate was awaiting the poor man, I was so sad for him I couldn't cheer for the heroes. I guess Hitchcock's efforts to build a triangular love leading up to that climactic confrontation worked just too well. And as strongly as I rooted for Rains, I did root for Ingrid Bergman who plays here perhaps her most fascinating character, a woman endowed with breathtaking beauty but forced by birth to live in a world of duality, smartly conveyed by Hitchcock's establishing shots.When we first meet her, she's at her father's trial, a German scientist who betrayed USA and replied to the verdict with a rant his lawyer advised him to stop... Alicia didn't need such advice, remaining silent and dignified as a woman capable to hide her feelings. Off the record, she's a whole different character. We see her during a party, surrounded by friends, drinking, wearing a zebra-outfit and being courted by a crass rich man and observed by a fellow whose back is the only hint of presence, that and the impassible and impersonal tone of his voice. The tone is set indeed: Alicia is a woman of contradictions constantly subjected to men's observations, and Dev is a straightforward man who can only express a few feelings based on what he sees, missing the unspoken so many times he's enwalling himself in the same trap. With the woman who was seen too much and the man who couldn't see enough, the characterization is perhaps the most achieved and mature of any of his films. Working in the same pitch than writer Ben Hecht, Hitchcock could make a great post-war thriller and a splendid romance whose most memorable moment remains that clever and unforgettable three-minute series of kisses, none of them exceeding three seconds, quoting Bergman herself, Hitchcock was an adorable (and quite truculent) genius. And Bergman has always been perfect in duality roles, portraying women forced to wear masks of pretension, "Gaslight", "Casablanca", "Spellbound" are all stones paving the road to "Notorious". Her Alicia is a woman notoriously known as as a seductress but in love, she's a fragile and vulnerable creature, at first sight, she embodies the cynicism of many citizens after the war while expressing her idealism in front of a traitor. It's only when facing injustice, that her real and heroic self can blossom. She doesn't disguise her feelings for too long, her tragedy is that Dev isn't quite the same.Grant is so stuck-up he almost 'gaslights' Alicia into a state of depression. His treatment made me as furious as the one Sebastian underwent but the two subplots created a fine mechanical irony: it's precisely for the obvious chemistry between Dev and Alicia, that Sebastian's suspicion is misguided. He's so insecure and so busy believing she still loves Dev that he never suspects she might be a spy, not that it changes anything for Alicia who turns out to be the prey of two men and a third one, behind the camera. "Notorious" is seldom mentioned as a masterpiece of voyeurism but it's the film with the most subtly voyeuristic moves where the attention is the most demanded from the audience."Notorious" also contains one of the most memorable trick shots from the master: the long zoom on the entrance hall leading to the infamous 'UNICA' key in Alicia's twisting hand, a simple key opening a wine cellar, we're in Hitchcock's comfort zone with his most cherished darling, the McGuffin. We never know exactly what the key opens, but when Sebastian holds Alicia's closed fists and kisses a hand, I held my breath. We know the stakes from the start, no mistake is allowed and Alicia is a triple heroine because unlike Devlin, she doesn't have any backup and she doesn't have any respect. I guess if it wasn't for Devlin's final chivalrous move, I would have hated his guts.Now, should they have taken Sebastian with them or let him sign his own death warrant? He knew the poison hence the antidote, he could provide all the information they needed... instead, they just leave. And when Sebastian is asked to come and the door closes, we prefer not to know what happens next.And if you think Hitch would sacrifice a memorable ending for the sake of plausibility, you haven't seen many Hitchcock movies.

After beginning this film, excited that it was listed on multiple websites as one of the best "psychological thrillers", I was a bit surprised to find that a good portion of the plot revolved around a love relationship. However, after analyzing every scene, I came to appreciate not only what this relationship did for the movie, but also the incredible detail that went into the film. Every aspect of this film, from lighting to sound, worked incredibly well to create moods depending on the scene. The editing of close ups combined with low-key lighting and dramatic music allowed for many of the scenes closer to the end of the movie to have a jarring effect. Furthermore, I soon found that the relationship was about much more than love. Hitchcock brought up questions of trust, of manipulation, and of greed with the complications that arise between Alicia and Devlin. The relationship in this film between Alicia and Devlin also illustrates the breaking up of the Hays Code during this period, as there were insanely long (compared to previous) kissing scenes and scenes suggesting romance. Although this movie was not as intense and mind-blowing as I expected, the fantastic editing, directing, and cinematography made me really enjoy the film and the questions it raises.

Having been released and taking place just a few years after the events of World War Two, this Alfred Hitchcock film takes us to South America. The Americans are after the Nazis who fled there after the war and end up enlisting the help of a remarkable woman, who also happens to be the daughter of a convicted Nazi sympathizer.Ingrid Bergman plays the lead here, with Cary Grant acting as her contact, and this movie very much belongs to her. Grant is of course Cary Grant, but his character is simply that typical stone-jawed product of its time. Nothing particularly interesting about him. Whereas Bergman's Alicia is a wonder. Tough, tender, capable and yet vulnerable because her life has just gone through such turmoil. She and Grant also have amazing chemistry together.As a film the whole thing feels a bit rushed. The main thing is of course the tension, like in most Hitchcock films, but here the bare bones story is pretty simplistic. The first few scenes even feel like notes on the margins of the script. That's how quickly they're gone through. The movie slows after the first act, thankfully, but it never quite pulls you in like many other Hitchcock films do.Still, it's worth a watch for the acting alone.

Desperate to dissociate herself from her Nazi war criminal father, a young woman with a drinking problem agrees to spy on one of her father's most trusted friends and gets dangerously close in this Alfred Hitchcock wartime drama. The film caused a stir in its day by featuring an elongated kissing scene, and the romance that develops between Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman's characters is pivotal as a secondary motive for her to cooperate. That said, the romance scenes are also the driest parts of the film with the plot taking over half an hour to really get going amidst talk, talk and even more talk. Things do eventually pick-up though and the film is topped off by a deathly intense final scene, as well as an effective conclusion that is both uplifting and gloomy (what an excellent, suggestive final shot!) but it is odd how long it takes the film to warm up. Calling the movie a thriller is in fact inaccurate as the thrills and suspenseful moments are few and far between with several dull patches. During its best moments though, 'Notorious' is unmissable stuff. There is a great moment in which Claude Rains opens Bergman's palms and almost discovers a key she has stolen; angular shots and zooms in and out are also used effectively throughout. Rains is very good too. In many ways, he is the heart and soul of the film with his genuine affection for Bergman and deep- seeded worries about his future late in the piece, and it is refreshing to have so human an antagonist. The overall film may not be quite as solid as his performance, but it makes for decent viewing all the same.