Review of Hitchcock (2012) by Ilsa L — 18 Feb 2014

This film had an easy target with me. I am a huge Hitchcock Fan and adore the Golden Age of Hollywood ( even though this takes place a tad later). Hence, the whole shebang of sets, costumes, music, looks and lingo was a big treat for me, let alone the subject matter in the person of old Hitch.

The film takes a glimpse into his life and work as an director, instead of chronicling his whole career, which I found to be a smart move, as the finesse and elegance of the script still illumimanted the person and myth that was Hitchcock as a whole.

Hopkins does his best, but I think he missed the mark by just a bit. His accent and his aura do not really feel like Hitchcock sounded like (in interviews and for his TV show). Yet, his physiology and rhythm he gives to the performance are good and climax in the final scene of Psycho's premiere.

The supporting cast is good, Helen Mirren is always a delight, Johansson is better than I thought, even though she is confinded to portraying Vivien Leigh as she is whitewashed through movie history. Danny Huston lacks the charisma to make his screentime interesting and Toni Collete is painfully underused, as she is so often, what a talent ! Some state that the role of Alma was overestimated, but I think the film had to have "some" sort of personal angle apart from the making of psycho to complete a satisfying narrative arc at some point, so why not make it the marriage of the master of suspense.

Also, I dont think that Alma comes across as being the "true" genius behind Hitchcock, not at all, and I think it is good that the "role" (I used this in its most ambigious term here) of the wife at Alfred's side is not understated.

A treat for film buffs and Hitchcock fans, might be tad pointless and slow for everyone else.