The Man Who Knew Too Much

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049470/]

The Gist:
The Man Who Knew Too Much succeeds on the sheer presence of James Stewart (but I'm biased because he's one of my favorite actors). With the exception of his fascinating screen presence, this is not as engaging as other Hitchcock films, it doesn't really carry a strong line of suspense. There are very strong aspects to the film, the sequence in the opera where all dialogue is drowned out by the music is particularly brilliant, and the use of the "Whatever Will Be" at the end is done with verve and sorrow. However, I never felt any danger for their child, or really for anyone. That's because the film, in terms of plot, is quite conventional. It's a good premise (as are all Hitchcock films really) but in order for this particular plot to really have an impact the viewer needs a sense of threat. Instead, we see a wonderfully engaging setup that loses a little steam as it races to its conclusion. Ah well, que sera.