The reviews have not been overwhelming for Hitchcock but mine is awfully positive. If you were a fan of Psycho you will like this film. If you don’t know anything about the Master of Suspense, you might as well skip it. I loved his TV show, but I loved most his movies. My favorite among them are The Man Who Knew Too Much, North By Northwest and Psycho. Enjoy!
Hitchcock (Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson, James D’Arcy, Jessica Biel) – As I watched Anthony Hopkins transform himself into Alfred Hitchcock and Helen Mirren into his wife, Alma Reville, I couldn’t help but think that this film could have been re-titled “The Making of Psycho” or “The Woman Behind the Man.”
As history, Hitchcock is limited. Hitch was reportedly difficult to work with, smitten with his blond stars, a peeping Tom, and a narcissist. In Hitchcock, he is most of those things but he is also playful, insecure, haunted, and reliant. The revelation in the movie is about Alma, a screenwriter in her own right who is portrayed as a “fixer,” the person who whispers sage advice to Hitch and who edits his scripts and his films until they sparkle with that unique Hitchcockian combination of suspense and humor.
As we would expect from these Oscar winners, Hopkins and Mirren are spectacular. Hopkins masters Hitch’s pudgy look, mannerisms, voice and temperament (if not his face) while Mirren has the easier job of portraying an unknown character. But she also creates a multi-layered character who transcends her time both as a dutiful wife and a professional who doesn’t change her name for her more successful husband. We find out that she was Hitch’s boss in their early days, that she puts up with his obsessions with his leading ladies, and who recognizes both his brilliance and his struggle for recognition by his peers. Hitch never won an Oscar despite five nominations. And his films struggled at the box office in the late 50s (Vertigo was a box-office bomb). He chalked it up to bias in Hollywood, particularly because of his dalliance with television, which was viewed by movie people as a threat.
The film begins with the premiere of North By Northwest in 1959 and ends with Psycho in 1960. Too bad. I was hoping for a biopic that encompassed Hitch’s entire career that began in the mid-20s. But as with so many recent biographies like The Queen, J. Edgar, Edward R. Murrow, Ali, we only see a slice of their lives.
Over 90 percent of Hitchcock is spent on Psycho. From Hitch’s first read of the book to his unsuccessful wooing of Paramount Studios to bankroll the film, through the selection of Janet Leigh (Scarlett Johansson) and Anthony Perkins (James D’Arcy), the shooting of the movie, and the release of the film, Psycho is his obsession. If you believe the film, Alma saves the movie now considered a classic and Hitchcock’s tour-de-force.
The supporting cast is exceptional. The making of Lady Scarlett into Janet Leigh is amazing. Johansson not only has the physical attributes to mirror Leigh but she gets the actress’ husky voice spot-on. James D’Arcy captures Perkins’ look and devilish smile. In a small role, Jessica Biel is amazing as Vera Miles, who Hitch wanted to make a star but who opted for motherhood instead (ironically, she had a role on TV for more than 30 years after playing Leigh’s sister in Psycho).
Director Sacha Gervasi, in his feature film debut, not only keeps the pace moving but he wisely chooses to show us both Hitch’s profile behind a scrim (just like on Alfred Hitchcock Presents) and the famous style of the opening of the TV show. He is a bit uneven as it relates to Hitch’s humor and his haunted humanity but that is to be forgiven. He brings a character all of us oldsters think we know to life.
Hitchcock is really good especially if you are a fan of Psycho and enjoy great acting. As the definitive narrative on its subject, it is undoubtedly wanting. But I’ll take an interesting story with a great cast over a boring introspective psychological profile of a Hollywood legend any day.