While the leads are excellent and there is sufficient suspense, this one of Hitchcock's lacks both a sense of humour which marks much of his best work and feeling.

Every movie era had one of those actors or actresses that were simply overrated and the golden age of Hollywood wasn't much of an exception with Ingrid Bergmann. Her role as a spy for the Nazi friends in Latin America in „Notorious" is one of those interpretations that should have shown her entire potential as an actress, but failed to do so. Everything else, the script, the supporting cast (especially Grant) and the finale of the entire movie will also follow that trail. „Rebecca" is by far, the weakest flick Alfred Hitchcock made in his fascinating career.

With Cary Grant at the helm as the distant secret service agent, Bergman as the loving tormented female figure, and Hitchcock behind the cameras, this film delivers.There is lots of adventure, suspense scenes well put together and effective, acting and dialog solid...But amidst all the action there is at the center, at the core of the events a love story, contorted and complicated but which really makes the whole film. And the development of that central relationship along with the many characters, dynamics of the story, events and obstacles is really well carried out.7.5/10.

Post-war blockbuster Notorious is about love triangle against the background of investigation of former Nazis plotting in Rio de Janeiro.Notorious has ostensibly slower start in comparison to other Noirs but this is characteristic of Hitchcock's early work. What was quite new within his early work was plot focused on love triangle. Alicia, daughter of former Nazi spy sentenced to death penalty, is "hired" by US Secret Service (or something like that) and sent to Brazil to spy on Nazis secret ring. During briefing and awaiting further orders Alicia and American agent Devlin fall in love but US government has a different opinion on what to do with Alicia - and so they force her to seduce Nazi ringleader Alexander Sebastian and move into his palatial residence. Devlin cannot reveal his true feelings at this time and so Alicia agrees with the plan and love triangle is created. I won't describe the plot in detail anymore, I'll just mention that Alicia's role is discovered and fight for her life occurs between Devlin and Alexander (assissted by his mother). The movie is 100 minutes long and last 30 minutes are really thrilling until the very end of the film.I have to admit that Cary Grant did not gain much sympathy in his role. On the other hand, Ingrid puts a lot of effort to evolve her initially unsympathetic character into victim of political schemes and you can't wish anything else than her rescue. I must also highlight main villains (played by Claude Reins and Leopoldine Konstantin) who were really convincing opposition. FUN FACTS:1) Scene in hotel room (where Cary and Ingrid kiss passionately) had to be remade due to censorship by following rules --> Kissing in films could not last longer than 3 seconds so we had to watch 2 minute scene dramatized with various smooches, talking and simply cuddling instead of passionate kissing we are used nowadays. How cute!2) The key to the vault (skillfully stolen by Alicia) became famous movie prop which Cary Grant himself kept after the casting was done. He later gave the key to Ingrid, claiming that key brings luck. She kept the key until 1979 when Hitchcock received award for life's work and Ingrid gave the key to him in big ceremony to bring him some luck as well. If her intention worked or not is dubious; nearly year after that Alfred Hitchcock died of kidney failure and two years later Ingrid Bergman died of breast cancer. Wasn't fun fact at all but still worth mentioning.