Hitchcock
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johannson, Jessica Biel, Toni Collette, Danny Huston, James D’Arcy
Directed by Sacha Gervasi
Rated: PG-13
Run Time: 98 mins
Genre: Biography/ Drama
Opens November 23rd
By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com
“Good Evening.” Was the greeting of every "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", running on television from 1962-1965, whom viewers simply knew as the “Master of Suspense”. Alfred Hitchcock was the man who gave the film world the MacGuffin was an enigma himself, but little people know about the woman behind the man, Alma Reville.
Very little people know the story behind the story of the making of Psycho, Hitchcock’s most well-known film. It al starts with a killer fromWisconsin, Ed Gein who was captured in 1944, featured in the novel Psycho by Robert Bloch. After the release of “North By Northwest”, Hitchcock (Anthony Hopkins) was looking for a project to sink his teeth into; something that would be unique, shocking and to prove that he still had “it” as a director. Alfred’s wife, Alma Reville (Helen Mirren) was pushing for another script by screenwriter Whitfield Cook (Danny Huston), but when Hitch stumbled across the Psycho novel, he was hell bent on making this his next film.
Trying to get the studio’s approval was tricky as he had one picture left on his contract withParamount. The studio wanted another “North By Northwest”, but Hitch wouldn’t budge in his decision. After talking it over withAlma, the decision was made to finance the picture himself and see how things go. This could be a total crap shoot, and soon the pressures of the film, outside influences and Hitch’s heath take a toll on his marriage. Will the film finish on time or will this be the biggest disaster of Hitchcock’s career?
A exceedingly clever film starting with the opening credits, as it captures the essence of Alfred Hitchcock’s greeting before every television show, Hitchcock gives the feel of a behind the scenes featurette of a DVD feature , with the bonus of a glimpse into the private life of the notorious director. More of an inside look of a mad genius’s mind and the birth of Psycho into the cinematic world, Anthony Hopkins plays the notorious director with an air of arrogance, wit and mystery, making it immensely enjoyable to watch. The chemistry with Dame Helen Mirren is equally dynamic as the two powerhouses compliment each other beautifully. The rest of the supporting cast, although interesting choices from afar, do work well in their respective roles from Scarlett Johannson as Janet Leigh, Ralph Macchio as screenwriter Joseph Stefano and James D’Arcy as Anthony Perkins. The essence of the late 1950’s, early 1960’s was capture beautifully in the small details; from the twin beds in the Hitchcock’s bedroom, to the wardrobe selections to the sets at Paramount Pictures; the greatest attention was paid giving the viewer the feel of the time period. Hitchcock is fiendishly fun and deviant entertaining, paying homage to the “Master of Suspense” in a respectable manner. Check out Hitchcock when it opens at Harkin Camelview starting Friday November 23, 2012.
