Mother

[Notorious] My personal favourite of all my mother's movies. I think even the title opens up so many emotional compartments for me, for I was born during my mother's notoriety as Hollywood infidel and continental usurper. When I was old enough to understand Hitchcock's movie, I felt Cary Grant was victimising mother as much as the rest of the public was. Later I conveniently chose to understand that film industry hostility as the same species of lust and jealousy which inflamed Grant's character, and I felt less a victim on my mother's behalf and more proud of her, and of her character, for doing what she believed in - what was only right to do. After all, how is a daughter to resent her own mother for falling in love with her father? Anyway, this movie has blurred the borders between movies and real life, and confused me in all the right ways for as long as I’ve lived - and, I pray, will continue to do so. It's also a really good movie, I think.

Isabella Rossellini in Time Out - 1000 films to change your life