Director: Sacha Gervasi
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Danny Huston, Scarlett Johansson, James D’Arcy
Running Time: 98 minutes
Certificate: 15
Extras: Audio Commentary with Sacha Gervasi and Stephen Rebello, Deleted Scene, Becoming the Master: From Hopkins to Hitchcock, Obsessed with Hitchcock, Sacha Gervasi’s Behind the Scenes Cell Phone Footage (15 cert.), Hitchcock Cell Phone PSA, The Story, The Cast, Danny Elfman Maestro, Hitch and Alma, Remembering Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock led a life of intrigue and alleged perversion, with his penchant for working his leading ladies into the ground should they dismiss his advances explored in the excellent THE GIRL starring Toby Jones. HITCHCOCK instead focuses on the making of the director’s shocker PSYCHO (1960) taking particular care in dissecting the relationship with his wife Alma (Mirren), and star Vivien Leigh (Johansson). Sadly the unnecessary tangents the story takes result in a picture as misshapen as Anthony Hopkins prosthetic gut.
Puzzlingly HITCHCOCK chooses to start with an Ed Gein opening and a Hitchock introduction, ala ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS. In setting the story opposite a real-life killer, who admittedly inspired PSYCHO, HITCHCOCK sets itself up as a serious character piece when in actuality it can’t decide what it wants to be. The films confusing tone isn’t helped by an incredibly hammy performance from Anthony Hopkins opposite a moody and intense Helen Mirren. The juxtaposition in the pair mean their interactions grate and Hitchcock comes across as a hideous egotist whom you’ll want to fail.
Offering support Scarlett Johansson and Danny Huston perform splendidly in playful roles, whilst Michael Stulberg as agent Lew Wasserman gets the best lines and enhances the film every time he appears. Unfortunately the uninspired direction lead the other performers into a field of mediocrity and laziness with Toni Colette a particular offender. The plodding, meandering feel of the movie is quite the misstep given the subject matters obsessive nature behind the camera and in truth is mildly offensive to Hitchcock’s memory. Fortunately proceedings are so blasé the legendary director would have turned off after ten minutes saving his embarrassment.
In spite of the weaknesses above HITCHCOCK isn’t a complete failure and will pass 98 minutes perfectly pleasantly. But surely given the acting talent involved and subject matter we’re entitled to expect more. A wasted opportunity.
HITCHCOCK is released on Blu-ray and DVD 17th June via 20th Century Fox
