When I first read about this short film, I must admit I was excited! One of my favourite living directors takes on a project handed down to him by one of my favourite directors of all time... the film itself is beautifully and stylishly executed, basically a constant stream of North By Northwest tributes most of which are just subtle enough to make you feel a little bit clever when you get them. But every single one has been altered slightly (so, the lines over title credits melt into violin strings rather than office windows, the setting is a concert rather than an auction house, the secrets are hidden in a cork rather than a statue, etc) to keep the film nice and fresh, a piece you can enjoy for it's own sake rather than a constant reminder of what it's trying to do. Loved the ROT handkerchief in particular, very nice touch. And it's not just the little details, either. Scorsese really did manage to give the film the "feel" of a Hitchcock movie, right down to the strange closeups, dramatic overhead shots, even the fake-looking 1950s effect of the Leonard character falling to his death. Simon Baker did a very good job as the dashing, grey-suited Roger Thornhill, though my only very small complaint would be that his occasionally over-dramatic facial expressions slightly fail to channel the Sean Connery-esque cool of Cary Grant. And whoever was playing the Professor was cast superbly, looked just like Leo G Carroll!
And then comes the big twist! Turns out that the entire thing is actually an advertisement for the Catalan-based cava brand Freixenet (I admit I should have seen this coming as I live just down the road from their main factory in Catalonia, and there were clues throughout the whole thing- "Freixenet presents", "reserva", etc). After a second of cynical disappointment, I just had to laugh and take my hat off to whoever thought of this brilliant marketing ploy. It's entertaining, satisfying to Hitchcock buffs, and ultimately a very clever and elaborate joke that you simply can't be angry about.
Of course, using a classic movie/actor to advertise a classy brand is nothing new, and I don't think this would have worked half as well without the whole "documentary" part at the beginning, that's what really draws in the audience and makes the joke all the funnier at the end. The entire setup is flawlessly executed, and results in something that is probably both the most entertaining (and cheeky!) advertisement and the best tribute to Hitchcock I have ever seen. And of course, the references to Rear Window and The Birds right at the end are just the icing on the cake!
Very highly recommended! 9/10
And then comes the big twist! Turns out that the entire thing is actually an advertisement for the Catalan-based cava brand Freixenet (I admit I should have seen this coming as I live just down the road from their main factory in Catalonia, and there were clues throughout the whole thing- "Freixenet presents", "reserva", etc). After a second of cynical disappointment, I just had to laugh and take my hat off to whoever thought of this brilliant marketing ploy. It's entertaining, satisfying to Hitchcock buffs, and ultimately a very clever and elaborate joke that you simply can't be angry about.
Of course, using a classic movie/actor to advertise a classy brand is nothing new, and I don't think this would have worked half as well without the whole "documentary" part at the beginning, that's what really draws in the audience and makes the joke all the funnier at the end. The entire setup is flawlessly executed, and results in something that is probably both the most entertaining (and cheeky!) advertisement and the best tribute to Hitchcock I have ever seen. And of course, the references to Rear Window and The Birds right at the end are just the icing on the cake!
Very highly recommended! 9/10