Hitchcock

"You shouldn't wait until half way through. Kill her after thirty minutes."

After his latest film, North by Northwest is a success, director Alfred Hitchcock (Hopkins) starts to look for his next project.  The studio wants him to keep churning out thrilling hits, but Hitch is bored and wants to try something different: make a real horror film.  He discovers the novel "Psycho" written by Robert Bloch, based on the life of Ed Gein (Wincott).

Hitch is adamant that he can make the film work, despite reservations by the studio.  His wife and collaborator, Alma Reville (Mirren), is not excited about the project, but agrees to help.  He casts blonde bombshell Janet Leigh (Johansson) as his star, and becomes obsessed with her.  Alma is frustrated with his obsession with his blonde leading ladies, and begins working with writer Whitefield Cook (Huston).  Can Hitch's vision come to life, or will he lose everything that he holds dear?


I have a deep appreciation for Alfred Hitchcock films.  They are well made and exciting.  In 2010 I read "It's Only a Movie: Alfred Hitchcock, A Personal Biography" by Charlotte Chandler, and decided to watch all of his films (I took a little break from that goal).  Having said that, I was excited to see both films about Hitchcock that were released in 2012: this film and HBO TV film The Girl about Hitch and Tippi Hedren (which is in my Netflix queue, but I have yet to see).

The film is based on Stephen Rebello's "Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho."  Obviously took artistic license with their portrayal of the events, so this should not be taken as the 100% accurate account of how the film was made.  Hitch and Alma's daughter, Pat Hitchcock, was not consulted / involved in the film, and is one of the few people still alive that was involved in the film.  Actress Vera Miles, who appeared in several Hitchcock films including Psycho, had a difficult relationship with Hitch, which is shown in the film... which has been documented in other places.

Anthony Hopkins is a good choice to portray Hitch... he embodies the Master of Suspense down to speech and mannerisms.  Helen Mirren is an interesting choice for Alma.  They don't look even remotely alike, but she is a talented actress and leading lady and works in the role... but she wouldn't be my first choice.  The rest of the cast felt pretty spot on.

A decent film, but I didn't love it.  A little more focus on actually making Psycho and less on all the other crap, and it would be a better film.

Hitchcock (2012) 98 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for some violent images, sexual content and thematic material
Director: Sacha Gervasi
Starring: Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock
Helen Mirren as Alma Reville
Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh
Danny Huston as Whitfield Cook
Toni Collette as Peggy Robertson
Michael Stuhlbarg as Lew Wasserman
Michael Wincott as Ed Gein
Jessica Biel as Vera Miles
James D'Arcy as Anthony Perkins