55 - Frenzy

    A man with a mild violent streak is mistaken for the necktie killer, a man who rapes his victims before strangling them with a necktie.  A series of coincidences make him the prime suspect, as the killer murders his ex-wife and his current girlfriend.
    I didn't go into this one expecting much, but this is one of the better Hitchcock movies.  His direction is skillful, there's an appropriate balance of tension, menace, and dark humor.  It's actually cut a little shorter than most of his movies, but it still covers a lot of ground.  It's a distinctly working-class movie.  All of the characters - even the police - are fairly blue-collar.
    One thing that stood out is how explicit the movie is.  There's more nudity in this than I've seen in any other Hitchcock movie.  This lends a certain credibility to the story.  We are dealing with rape and murder, so it makes sense to have some of this portrayed, otherwise we don't fear the killer.
    The characters are very nicely defined.  The protagonist has some serious faults, and it helps make us a little wary of him until we find out who the killer is.  The antagonist is reversed - he hides his manic nature very well, and puts on a good public face of charm and happiness.