Review of Hitchcock (2012) by Hugh R — 07 Mar 2015

"Hitchcock" is a fun movie. It is well shot, has a tight story and fantastic performances delivered with an utter joy that is impossible to miss. It is not perfect, being that it is based upon a real person and real events, but so much of the spirit and wit of Alfred Hitchcock is found here that the liberties taken are easy to excuse. I have not enjoyed watching a "bio pic" of this kind in years and Anthony Hopkins has finally come alive again in his role as good ol' "Hitch". I cannot remember how long ago it was that I was able to watch Anthony Hopkins and forget that I was watching Anthony Hopkins. Here he exudes sheer glee and an intuitiveness about his character in every scene that pays off in spades. Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh, Jessica Biel as Vera Miles, and James D'Arcy as Anthony Perkins are used sparingly but very effectively and Helen Mirren is spectacular as Hitchcock's faithful yet long suffering wife Alma Reville.

The story centers on the period in Hitchcock's life when he was making his horror masterwork "Psycho". The book, based on the demented murders committed by Ed Gein, was making a slowly rising stir at the time and Hitchcock was looking for something truly new. He was a legend in his own time, but he was tired of television and even more tired of listening to the studios demanding he make more of the same types of films that he had already directed for them. Finding absolutely no support from studio executives who feared the brutal murder and transvestitism in "Psycho" would cause an uproar in the movie going public, Hitch funded the movie himself and delivered, with many setbacks, what is now known as his most popular film ever.

It takes a few moments to get onboard with the way the movie is presented. It delves into the mindset of Hitchcock in visually disturbing ways and does not follow the typical "Based On True Events" style we are used to. This, however, works in the movie's favor. The presentation forces the audience to think and participate in the story instead of letting it roll over them. Hitchcock was especially good at getting the audience involved and a movie about his methods and life should feel the same way. The director, Sacha Gervasi, layers the story, plot, and character elements in a way that brings us into the film and makes us more than viewers. We are, instead, Hitchcock's co-conspirators and confidantes.

I went into this film with reservations about what was to come only to have my concerns carefully removed and tossed away as one discards a gum wrapper. They became unimportant and not at all relevant to the wonderful movie I was about to watch. If you haven't seen it yet, make the effort to see "Hitchcock" soon and as Hitch would say, you'll have a "Good Evening".