Alan Munro (munro82)

'Rear Window' is the pinnacle of Alfred Hitchcock's distinguished career and one of the finest cinematic achievements ever to grace the silver screen. "That's a secret private world you're looking into out there. People do a lot of things in private they couldn't possibly explain in public." "Rear window ethics" come under the intimate glare of the zoom lens in this voyeuristic thriller, when a wheelchair bound James Stewart observes a medley of private dramas unfolding across the courtyard. Each is a disparate plot thread woven around the principal themes with imperious craftsmanship and witnessed by a subjective camera that serves as a gateway into an inextricable tapestry of human behaviour. The ever reliable Stewart brings a touch of class to proceedings, impressing his considerable presence and talent to convey a vulnerability to his cynical character. He is matched in his efforts by a sterling supporting cast, including the acerbic Thelma Ritter, sophisticated Grace Kelly and laconic Wendell Corey. The chemistry between Stewart and Kelly is wonderful, crackling with entertaining interchanges, but Ritter and Corey also get in on the act, delivering sly black humour that offers light relief to a dark tale. However, the name of the game is suspense and Hitchcock is the consummate master, gleefully playing the audience strictly to his rules. He and his crew have shrouded the movie in a sinister ambiance that gradually takes hold, smothering the playful humour with fragments of morbid intrigue, like pieces of a puzzle that form a frightening image of depravity.

The Matrix is a revolutionary movie that blends a challenging and inventive story with cutting-edge visual effects, all combining to create a flowing and exciting masterpiece of modern cinema.