Title: Hitchcock<\/p>\n
Directed By: Sacha Gervasi<\/p>\n
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson, Danny Huston, Toni Collette, Michael Stuhlbarg, Michael Wincott, Jessica Biel, James D\u2019Arcy, Richard Portnow, Ralph Macchio<\/B><\/p>\n
If you\u2019re a sucker for horror and suspense, and have a serious soft spot for the art of making movies, \u201cHitchcock\u201d is an absolute charmer, delivering the touching satisfaction of a romance, but in a wildly entertaining and somewhat brutal environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cHitchcock\u201d focuses in on Alfred Hitchcock\u2019s (Anthony Hopkins) career just after releasing \u201cNorth By Northwest\u201d and moving on to his next project, \u201cPsycho.\u201d Even though the director has immense clout amongst the Hollywood community, many wonder why he doesn\u2019t just retire at the ripe old age of 60 and go out on top, but even more so about why he wants to work with such violent material.<\/p>\n
Support for \u201cPsycho\u201d is hard to come by and Hitchcock is left with no choice, but to strike a deal with Paramount \u2013 self-finance the film himself and defer his director\u2019s fee in exchange for a percentage of ownership of the film\u2019s negative and a distribution agreement. The studio finally gives him a reluctant thumbs up and Hitchcock goes to work.<\/p>\n
While a great deal of \u201cHitchcock\u201d covers the making of \u201cPsycho,\u201d the backbone of the film is Hitch\u2019s relationship with his wife, Alma (Helen Mirren). Alfred Hitchcock may be the name in lights, but behind closed doors, he relies heavily on Alma\u2019s writing abilities and guidance, so when he suspects she\u2019s having an affair with her longtime friend and new writing partner, Whitfield Cook (Danny Huston), Hitch is crushed and his emotions affect the making of \u201cPsycho,\u201d a project that now not only puts the couple\u2019s finances on the line, but their relationship, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cHitchcock\u201d may be billed as a drama, but it\u2019s very much a romance and quite comedic, too. Director Sacha Gervasi establishes the film\u2019s unique tone right from the start, opening with a murder and panning over to Hopkins\u2019 Hitch for a traditional Hitchcock introduction. He\u2019s soft-spoken and heartfelt, yet talks day and night about murder while being incredibly deadpan. He\u2019s a fun, curious and often truly scary character, making him wildly intriguing to track.<\/p>\n
But as much as Hitchcock\u2019s personality traits contradict each other and as impulsive as he may be, you trust him because of Alma. Mirren\u2019s Alma is the voice of reason and while that\u2019s comforting, Hitchcock\u2019s eerily playful attitude keeps you rooting for him. The magic happens as the story progress and eventually climaxes, proving that the two make a pitch perfect pair, and when that happens it\u2019s almost overwhelmingly delightful.<\/p>\n
Even with Hopkins and Mirren firmly in the spotlight, the \u201cHitchcock\u201d supporting cast members almost all get their time to shine. Toni Collette functions more as a set piece than anything as Hitchcock\u2019s assistant, Peggy Robertson, but similar to Mirren, Collette manages to infuse the character with enough sensibility and warmth to give off a soothing sensation within the filmmaking madness. Whitfield Cook, on the other hand, is a bit of a clich\u00e9 charmer and then Danny Huston puts on an average performance, leading to one of the film\u2019s sole faults, the fact that Alma seems too smart to fall for Whitfield, even for a moment.<\/p>\n
Scarlett Johansson and Jessica Biel don\u2019t get all that much screen time, but both do manage to make a strong impression and in very different ways. Biel\u2019s Vera Miles and Hitch have a troubled past, which leaves Hitch very resentful. The relationship has quite the arc and while it\u2019s only a sub story, it\u2019s done in such a beautifully subtle way that it makes for a nice little bonus payoff. Johansson\u2019s Janet Leigh gets a little bit of her own, showing how Hitchcock fancied his leading ladies, but it\u2019s Leigh\u2019s involvement in \u201cPsycho\u201d and her working relationship with Hitch that\u2019s far more profound.<\/p>\n
We get an extra perspective of Hitchcock via Michael Wincott\u2019s Ed Gein, the serial killer who inspired Norman Bates. Gein and Hitchcock often interact in a dream-like state through which Gein serves as a warped advisor. Wincott absolutely nails the role, creating an unnerving calm when Gein is in control, but also seamlessly transitioning to becoming a downright disturbing force.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s easy to toss around words like disturbing, eerie, murder and violence when Alfred Hitchcock is involved, but, it turns out, the film version of a portion of his life is incredibly enjoyable and surprisingly heartwarming. Gervasi infuses the film with a great playful energy, but never lets it undermine the gravity of the situation. The Hitchcocks could lose their home and careers, and they can also lose their marriage. The lows never hit rock bottom so as to drag down the mood, but they make you concerned enough that when things are looking up, you truly can\u2019t help, but to smile.<\/p>\n
Technical: A-<\/p>\n
Acting: A-<\/p>\n
Story: B+<\/p>\n
Overall: A-<\/B><\/p>\n
![\"Hitchcock](\"http:\/\/g-ecx.images-amazon.com\/images\/G\/01\/imdb\/plugins\/rating\/images\/imdb_31x14.png\")