"She's too perfect, she's too talented, she's too beautiful, she's too sophisticated, she's too everything but what I want.”

Maybe not Hitchcock’s best in technical terms, that’s no doubt Vertigo. But this is definitely my personal favourite: I simply find it his most entertaining. It’s funny, suspenseful and romantic.

What more do you need? This is one of those films, in which the atmosphere is almost palpable: You can feel the heat of the sweltering summer nights and can’t shake the feeling that it all has to implode at some point, which always makes it an exciting watch.

It’s no doubt Grace Kelly who steals the show. She’s a vision of almost exaggerated femininity, always dressed impeccably, never a hair out of place. One can almost smell the perfume trailing behind her.

It would be all too easy to dismiss her as a shallow, one dimensional love interest. But then the film does something absolutely fascinating (especially considering this was made in the 50’s): The woman saves the day and the man.

The image of Grace Kelly climbing a ladder in a floaty summer dress and high heels is simply one the most iconic in cinema.

Hitchcock has a few films that are ambiguous to say the least, in terms of their treatment of women but a true misogynist would never let a woman steal the show in such a way. This simply is Grace Kelly’s film.