Review: Frenzy

Set in London, somewhat unappealing ne’er-do-well Jon Finch (think Oliver Reed with a mild hangover, but more conventionally handsome) is having a bad time of it. He loses his job at the pub (accused of imbibing on the job), is sleeping at a crummy hostel (where he needs to keep an eye on his wallet at all hours of the night), argues violently with his ex-wife (Barbara Leigh-Hunt), and when said ex-wife is strangled, becomes the prime suspect in the ‘Necktie Strangler’ case. Thing is, he’s innocent, we learn early on that an outwardly charming associate of his (Barry Foster- having a whale of a time) is framing him as he continues to murder pretty young lady after pretty young lady. Anna Massey plays Finch’s only true ally, with Clive Swift his chicken-livered old pal emasculated by bitchy Billie Whitelaw (who believes Finch a sadist because the divorce settlement included accusations of ‘extreme cruelty’, which Finch claims he and Leigh-Hunt made up to speed things along. Thus she won’t let Swift come forward as Finch’s alibi). Alec McCowen plays a copper on the case, whose comic dealings with his wannabe-gourmet wife Vivien Merchant are an amusing sidebar (If you find nothing amusing or oxymoronic about the phrase ‘British cuisine’, then these scenes will clearly not work for you). Jean Marsh plays a nerdy secretary, in a choice bit part.

 

1972 Alfred Hitchcock (“Strangers on a Train”, “North by Northwest”) film is considered by most to be his best work post-“Psycho”. Whatever one takes that statement to mean (hey, I liked “Topaz”, thank you very much!), it’s probably true enough, and a return to his popular ‘wrong man’ theme (think “The 39 Steps”, “Strangers on a Train” etc).

 

This seedy, nasty little ripper (so to speak) has terrific performances (Finch’s best, and scene-stealing work by Massey, Foster, McCowen, Whitelaw, and Marsh), wonderfully grubby characters (the hero’s a pig, the villain’s a smoothie), a randy sense of humour, and only the faintest whiff of déjà vu (a frantic ‘needle in a haystack’-like search is far too reminiscent of the ‘lighter down the drain’ bit from Hitch’s best film, “Strangers on a Train”), and only a touch overrated (Hey, it ain’t no “Torn Curtain” or “The Birds”, at least, so we can be thankful for that!).

 

Hitchcock at his nastiest (expect a rape and murder or two), naughtiest and blackest, it’s like “Carry On Ripper”! The screenplay is by Anthony Schaffer (“Sleuth”, “The Wicker Man”, “Absolution”, “Death on the Nile”) of all people, from a novel by Arthur LaBern.

 

Rating: B-