Hitchcock (2012)

[operalover21]

Anthony Hopkins. Helen Mirren. Scarlett Johannsen. James D'Arcy.

 

Alfred Hitchcock is not only my favorite film director but I think he is the greatest film director who ever lived. There have been two films about him this year: The Girl on HBO (and the less said about that piece of garbage the better) and now this feature film.

 

It focuses on the making of the classic PSYCHO. It gets it very, very wrong in many details. But it may be the performances that are the bigger problems. If you are a film buff you know the people portrayed in this film very well which is a problem. Helen Mirren is far too glamorous to be play the short, frumpy Alma Reville, Hitch's wife. Her performance is lovely but she's not Alma. An even bigger problem is Anthony Hopkins, one of my favorite actors. He's simply Anthony Hopkins playing Hitchcock, he's never Hitchcock. Ever for one minute. He doesn't seem like a real person for even one minute.

 

There are two performances that I though were rather spot in. In particular the British actor James D'Arcy is a perfect Anthony Perkins. From his first appearance, it's uncanny. Terrific work. It's a shame his scenes are so short. I also thought that Janet Leigh was brought to life well by Scarlett Johannsen. She may be a little too beautiful and curvy but, somehow, she made it believable.

 

Also, the level of psychobabble here was a little over-the-top.

 

I'd recommend it for fans of Hitchcock and film-making in general. Not because it's particularly good but because there are a few things to enjoy in it.

[marylander1940]

Thank you for the post. I agree with you 100%.