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Mr. And Mrs. Smith DVD Review

“Mr. And Mrs. Smith” is lesser Hitchcock.

David and Ann Smith are a married couple who clearly love each other even though they might not always get along. Despite their quarrels, however, they always manage to work through their problems. Unfortunately, David and Ann face a major problem when they discover their marriage isn’t valid due to a mix up. As one might imagine, this situation leads to a series of complications that causes a rift between the two. Can they work through this problem or is their relationship truly doomed?

As you may or may not know, Alfred Hitchcock is often known as “The Master of Suspense” since his best films (“Psycho” and “Rear Window”) tend to be that genre. With that said, it’s always interesting to watch one of his films outside of that genre. 1941’s “Mr. And Mrs. Smith” (not to be confused with the 2005 Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie vehicle) is one of those rare films.

The film (which is a romantic screwball comedy) is a story about love, secrets, deception, and jealousy. While the film boasts charming performances by the leads (Robert Montgomery and Carole Lombard), there’s really not much to the film outside of their great chemistry. Sure, you can argue there are some funny moments (the cat at the restaurant or David punching his own nose come to mind), but for the most part, it’s a predictable one note comedy about David trying to win back Ann. There’s just not enough story here and the rushed ending doesn’t do the film any favors. With a few rewrites it might have worked better, but as is, it’s a slightly entertaining but ultimately so-so effort from one of the best filmmakers of all time.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: Fullscreen. How does it look? I have no complaints about this crisp and clear B&W print.

Audio Track: Dolby Digital Mono. How does it sound? For a Mono track, I was quite pleased by the sound quality. Sure, it’s primarily just a dialogue heavy film, but I didn’t detect any flaws.

Extras: A theatrical trailer and a 16 minute featurette titled “Mr. Hitchcock Meets The Smiths” which contains film clips, interviews with the likes of the always knowledgeable Peter Bogdanovich and Robert Osborne, discussions about the cast, film, and Hitchcock.

February 20, 2016 - Posted by nicklyons1 | DVD review | Alfred Hitchcock, Carole Lombard, Mr. And Mrs. Smith (1941) Review, Mr. And Mrs. Smith DVD Review, Robert Montgomery