He was the master of suspense and a visionary filmmaker who pioneered a voyeuristic style which changed filmmaking forever.
But this new film Hitchcock by director Sacha Gervasi doesn't tell us what we already know about one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, instead it shows us his relationship with his greatest collaborator: his wife Alma.
In fact, the film centres on their relationship and the stresses it endured while self-funding the film Psycho so much, that it should almost be called "Mr and Mrs Hitchcock".
Helen Mirren - who plays Alma - was nervous about playing the role because the real wife of Hitchcock was what Mirren called 'a tiny bird of a woman'. But what Mirren lacks in similar size she makes up for in similar strength of character. There is something about the face of the English actress which is captivatingly good in any role she plays. And in parts her expression looked just as pained yet resilient as the real Alma would have been after years of putting up with Hitchcock's wandering eye towards his leading ladies.
Anthony Hopkins too is pretty good in his crucial role as Alfred Hitchcock. With the assistance of some prosthetic jowls and a fat suit, the fact that he looks nothing like the English director is excused. Hopkins gets the dead-pan voice and dramatic pauses the filmmaker was known for almost spot on. He also nails the expression of desperation that the 60-year-old felt by 1959, when he was seeking to keep up his reputation as a great director, while also keeping his work relevant to the ever-changing Hollywood, and its filmmaking demands.
However there are some aspects of Hitchcock which were a little cringe-worthy. The deliberate humour of Hopkin's Hitchcock seemed a bit obvious and forced. When Hitchcock compliments Alma at the end of the film, she responds by saying that she's been waiting a long time to hear it, he then replies with "well my dear that's why they call me the master of suspense". It was an eye-rolling moment.
Towards the end of the film there was another bit of dialogue which was too much to take. When Hitchcock is addressing the camera expressing his wish to find inspiration for a new 'picture', a black crow lands on his shoulder. This obvious reference to his next film The Birds triggered a bit of laughter from some audience members, but not from this reviewer!
Overall, however, Hitchcock is an enjoyable film. It is easy to watch and the acting by both Mirren and Hopkins is great. One last interesting thing to note is there is an uncanny resemblance between the real actor Anthony Perkins, who played the leading role of Norman Bates in Psycho, and the character who plays him in this film James D'Arcy. Their similarity is almost as frightening Hitchcock's famous shower scene itself.
Three and a half stars.
Hitchcock
:: Director: Sacha Gervasi
:: Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Biel and Toni Collette
:: Running Time: 98 mins
:: Release Date: february 7, 2013
:: Trailer: Watch here
source: newshub archive
