This quirky comedy is without a doubt the best Hitchcock film for this particular genre. Of course only two other Hitchcock films really come to mind in regards to humor as the main ingredient (Trouble With Harry, Family Plot), yet nevertheless this film stands out as the cream of the crop. Not to be confused with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, this married couple played by Robert Montgomery and Carole Lombard respectively have both independently just found out that they are not truly married due to a small technicality. Montgomery thinks this revelation has only been bestowed upon him, while Lombard is aware that they are both privy to this latest discovery. What ensues is a playful yet desperate course of events in which Lombard is certain that Montgomery will sweep her off her feet once more, despite her own mother and her own better intuition’s lack of faith.
The dialogue throughout this film is sensational in my book, and although Hitchcock was said to be dissatisfied with the final product, I’d venture to say he undersold himself once again as he captured the irony of romance as good as anyone in cinema. One of his greatest charms is that he was more than a master of suspense, Hitchcock genuinely had a firm grasp on all the qualities of humanity, and the magic touch to amplify the beauty in each and every experience. This film will resonate with anyone who has ever been in love with a best friend, one who is our own worst critic yet our truest companion, the one you share a connection with in ways that only you could understand. The imagery in the climactic scene is the cherry on top of a wonderful film, a real hidden treasure that will put a smile on anyone who’s ever lived with the burden of being so madly in love with the person you can’t stand.
