Review of Hitchcock (2012) by Archibald T — 12 Mar 2013

The knowing of what is behind the magic that is 'Psycho' can't be found in this film. It's a strange curiosity though. I mean it provided all the essential facts that I found myself aware of while viewing the film. In it's beginning scenes there is a great deal of warmth as well as giddy movie geek passion toward the process of how 'Psycho' came to be. I couldn't stop grinning in the those first few minutes as what was unfolding before my eyes was the closes anyone will ever come to creating what went on during the making of 'Psycho'. Especially since when you've done your research on the movie 'Psycho' and know some of the stories that took place on the set. I will say this their facts were SPOT ON and that was satisfying enough.

However, this film doesn't exactly give you ALL the details of what went on. It's a film cut into three portions. One you have the making of 'Psycho', Two you have Hitchcock's lured obsessions and Three you have his marriage to Alma Reville which sadly overpowers those other two. Was there something in the material of Stephen Rebello's book (Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho) that made it's director (Sacha Gervasi) and writer (John J. McLaughlin) decide to go a different route and tell the story of Hitchcock's rocky marriage to Alma? Having not read Stephen Rebello's book which documented in full detail of the making of the film 'Psycho' I can only assume that we're only getting close to a HALF of what was mentioned in that book.

Still many of the facts that I am aware are presented. Although I'm not so sure if he was obsessed with Ed Gein, the man for which 'Psycho' is based on. Ed Gein appears through out the film, in Hitch's mind, as a sort of internal metaphor for his own perverted and sick sensibilities. Hitch wasn't entirely a wonderful man. He had a much darker side in the way he treated his leading ladies. He was repressed sexually and through much of his marriage with Alma it was mostly a sexless marriage (even though they did have a daughter together named Patricia). The film revolves around the jealous notion of Hitch's feelings that Alma might be having an affair. It's entirely unnecessary, I felt, to make the making of 'Psycho' feel more like a subplot to the bigger issue which is Hitch's marriage. It got in the way of what I really, really wanted to see.

Aside from the ups and downs of Hitch's married life, this film was surprisingly clever in it's droll macabre humor and wonderful performances by all the actors. I found the main highlight of this entire film to be the secondary characters that were portraying the likes of Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles and even Joseph Stefano (the screenwriter of 'Psycho'). They picked a perfect Stefano to be played by Ralph Macchio. He looks just like him when he was younger. But of course I must not forget Anthony Hopkins portrayal of Hitch himself. He brought a lot of warmth to him and showed a much more giddy side that I didn't exactly see from Toby Jones's version when he played Hitch in the HBO movie 'The Girl' about his fixation toward Tippi Hedren. Between the two I'd have to go with Hopkins.

Overall, if you're not too familiar with the story of 'Psycho' I would suggest watching the documentary 'The Psycho Legacy'. Then watch this film because they compliment each other tremendously.