Hitchcock (FILM REVIEW)
Hitchcock
Film Review
by Kam Williams
Headline:
Delightful Docudrama Recounts Shooting of Horror Classic “Psycho”
It wasn’t long after the Hollywood premiere of North by Northwest in July of 1959
that Alfred Hitchcock (Anthony Hopkins) was already searching for his next
project, since he was at his most content making movies. After passing on all
the scripts being pitched by Paramount, the
master of suspense became curious about a recently-published novel inspired by
the gruesome exploits of a Wisconsin serial
killer (Michael Wincott).
Hitchcock found the book “Psycho” captivating,
and acquired the rights to the pulpy page-turner over the objections of his agent
(Michael Stuhlbarg), accountant (John Rothman), assistant (Toni Collette) and studio’s
president (Richard Portnow). He even had a hard time convincing his skeptical wife,
Alma (Helen Mirren), whose support was always critical as his longtime collaborator
and sounding board.
But once the couple decided to
finance the picture themselves, they turned their attention to casting. They settled
on relatively-unknown Anthony Perkins (James-D’Arcy) in the pivotal role of
Norman Bates, while opting for Janet Leigh (Scarlett
Johansson) over a fading star (Jessica Biel) as their ill-fated leading lady.
However,
pressures continued to mount after the filming got underway, with concerns ranging
from the director having to massage actresses’ egos to having to figure out how
to get the graphic shower scene past the censors. Unfortunately, Albert’s flirtatious
behavior on the set would take a toll on the relationship with a fed-up Alma disappearing with a
friend (Danny Huston) to a beachfront pied-a-terre he hid from his wife.
Will
she cheat or choose to reconcile with her rotund hubby, despite his roving eye?
That is the real tension at the heart of Hitchcock, since everybody knows that
Psycho was completed and went on to be feted as a cinema classic.
Directed
by Sacha Gervasi, this delightful docudrama is based on “Alfred Hitchcock and
the Making of Psycho” by Stephen Rebello. What makes the movie so compelling is
the badinage between Alma and Alfred as capably played by Oscar-winners Helen
Mirren (for The Queen) and Anthony
Hopkins (for The Silence of the Lambs).
Who
knows whether their alternately acerbic and admiring interaction is accurate or
pure fabrication? It almost doesn’t matter when delivered oh so convincingly,
ostensibly allowing the audience a rare “fly on the wall” opportunity to watch
a genius and his better half weave movie magic together.
A cinematic treat offering rare peeks behind
the scenes and behind the closed doors of a legendary director and the love of
his life.
Very Good
(3 stars)
Rated PG-13 for sexuality, violent images and mature themes
Running time: 98 minutes
Distributor: Fox
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