Delayed Reaction: Vertigo

The Pitch: Jimmy Stewart stalks follows a woman around who he falls in love with. She dies, but that's not where the story ends.

Any time a movie is considered a "best" there's some unavoidable expectations. Whether it's the best movie ever made (According to Sight and Sound) or just the best Hitchcock movie, that's a lot to live up to. I've accidentally seen a lot of Hitchcock's movies recently. My critique is pretty much the same in all of them:
-Jimmy Stewart is great.
-I enjoy how each of Hitchcock's movies are basically a single idea or gimmick that he stretched into a full length film.
-The visuals are superb. I'd upgrade that to "masterful" if I was any sort of expert about camerawork.

The story only keeps you guessing so much, which was a nice change of pace. Sometimes, dramatic irony* is even better at building tension than the unknown. The ending is abrupt and fitting and probably my favorite thing about the film.

I tend to overthink my Reactions for these older movies. I think it comes from a place of, "They've proven their worth over decades. Who am I to suggest that they aren't perfect?" It's something I need to break myself of.

*I think that's the right way to use it.

Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend