Hitchcock (2012)
WHAT: Hitchcock (2012)
RATING: PG-13
DIRECTOR: Sacha Gervasi
LANGUAGE: English
RUN TIME: 98 Minutes
OUR RATING: Do it!
If you’re looking for a movie you may not have heard of, why not try out Hitchcock, a biographical drama of Alfred Hitchcock’s process of making the classic horror film Psycho. Made truly great by inspired performances from Anthony Hopkins (Alfred Hitchcock) and Helen Mirren (Alma Reville), the film explores the complex romance of Alfred and Alma against the backdrop of the mayhem and pitfalls of adapting, producing, directing and filming a film all by oneself in the middle of Hollywood.
Hopkins’ performance is masterful, and allows us to view his creative process in a step-by-step manner, accompanied by the macabre humor of someone obsessed with getting back in the game. Even in makeup, he makes us believe he is Hitchcock, a feat lesser actors would not have been able to achieve so admirably. Mirren balances this with a strong determination that reflects well on the film as a whole and the Alfred/Alma relationship in particular. And then there is the constant presence of the serial killer Ed Gein (Michael Wincott) in the mind of Hitchcock that provides both comic relief and serious analysis of Hitchcock himself.
(courtesy of imdb.com)
Unfortunately, supporting roles were weak, and Scarlett Johansson can never hope to live up to the likes of Mirren and Hopkins. While true to her role, her tendency to be modern was distracting, and made one wish an unknown had been cast instead of a pseudo-star. But, the quality of the starring roles, the interesting story, raw humor, and a great score by Danny Elfman, make this movie a must-see.
P.S. Sorry we missed you on the 25th, but we were taking a break from posting to enjoy the holidays with our families. Happy Boxing Day to all our Commonwealth friends!