POP UP CINEMA BRIGHTON

This past year has seen the return of one of cinema’s most exciting formats, with The Brutalist, One Battle After Another, the upcoming Emma Stone / Yorgos Lanthimos collaboration Bugonia, the new Tom Cruise / Alejandro G. Iñárritu project, the latest Margot Robbie / Jacob Elordi / Emerald Fennell film, and new works from both M. Night Shyamalan and Greta Gerwig — all utilising the classic Paramount VistaVision process.

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But what is it that is proving so irresistible to modern filmmakers, it has prompted a widespread revival of a format that lay dormant for over sixty years? The answer lies in the magic of the select group of films produced during VistaVision’s original heyday. Over this very special VistaVision Weekend, we present two of the most significant titles from that extraordinary list.

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The very first Hitchcock film to employ VistaVision (he would go on to make four more), To Catch a Thief stands as easily the director’s most glamorous work and comfortably sits among the upper echelons of his remarkable filmographry. Pairing Cary Grant with Grace Kelly — fresh from her Best Actress Oscar win — Hitchcock transports us to the glittering French Riviera for a sun-soaked romance between Kelly’s daring socialite Frances Stevens and Grant’s retired cat burglar John Robie. When a new jewel thief threatens Robie’s now reformed reputation, he must uncover the imposter’s identity to prove his innocence.

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This wonderfully enjoyable romp sees its two radiant stars rivalled only by the luminous VistaVision photography of the Riviera itself. Bubbling with humour, spice, and sparkling dialogue, To Catch a Thief delivers romantic suspense in the classic Hitchcock mould — all the while (and deliberately) never ruffling Grace Kelly’s exquisite Edith Head costumes or disturbing Cary Grant’s debonair disposition.

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Charm and chemistry flow through every frame of this the most picturesque of all Hitchcock’s classics, a film that exemplifies VistaVision’s power as a vehicle for cinematic visual artistry by a master director but also as a conduit for pure, easy-going glamourous entertainment on the big screen.

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You can buy tickets for this screening only or take advantage of our discount ticket for both nights of the VistaVision weekend to see One Eyed Jacks also.