Hitchcock follows the legendary director during the making of Psycho in 1959. Unlike the HBO biopic, The Girl, this movie is a somewhat lighter take on this controversial figure. More importantly, it offers an in-depth look at the role his wife, Alma Reville, played in the making of a Hitchcock movie.
It seems incredible now, but Psycho was never considered a sure thing. Based on a very graphic novel by Richard Bloch about the serial killer Ed Gein, Alfred Hitchcock was convinced that he could turn this tale into a great movie. When studios disagreed, he ended up financing the film himself and shooting it using the crew from his television program, Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Apart from depicting the movie's production, Hitchcock also focuses on a rocky patch in Alfred and Alma's marriage, with Alma becoming increasingly frustrated with Alfred's lecherous ways when working with Janet Leigh, and Alfred becoming increasingly concerned with Alma's association with Whitefield Cook, an old friend who wants Alma's help with a screenplay.
The movie makes it very clear that Alma was Hitchcock's right-hand woman. She was the only one who supported him when no one else thought Psycho could be a movie, even giving him complete license to mortgage their house to raise money for the production. She worked on script re-writes, convinced Hitch to use that infamous Bernard Herrmann score during the shower scene, and even took over production when Alfred was bedridden due to overwork. From beginning to end, she was an equal collaborator in the making of Psycho, and it is apparent that her taste and aesthetic played a large part in creating every Hitchcock movie.
Hitchcock features a fantastic performance by Anthony Hopkins, who completely inhabits the role. He has perfected Hitchcock's speech pattern, and his silhouette is eerily reminiscent of Hitchcock's peculiar posture and portly frame. Helen Mirren is marvelous as Alma Reville, serving as a strong and sensible voice of reason when faced with Hitchcock's self-aggrandizement. The movie itself is a fun ride, filled with suspenseful moments, winking nods to the camera as Alfred Hitchcock presents the movie to the audience like an episode of his television show, and a wonderful score by Danny Elfman. The supporting cast do a great job, particularly Scarlett Johansson who nails Janet Leigh's bloodcurdling screams during the shower scene and James D'Arcy who seems to be a clone of Anthony Perkins.
The movie also reveals Alfred's genius for marketing - he enhanced the suspense and public anticipation for Psycho by buying up every copy of the novel nationwide, and hyped up the movie premiere in a manner that current studios and promoters would do well to emulate. Overall, Hitchcock is an engaging biopic, offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the making of one of the most celebrated movies in American cinema, and providing more insight into the always mysterious and fascinating world of Alfred Hitchcock.
The movie makes it very clear that Alma was Hitchcock's right-hand woman. She was the only one who supported him when no one else thought Psycho could be a movie, even giving him complete license to mortgage their house to raise money for the production. She worked on script re-writes, convinced Hitch to use that infamous Bernard Herrmann score during the shower scene, and even took over production when Alfred was bedridden due to overwork. From beginning to end, she was an equal collaborator in the making of Psycho, and it is apparent that her taste and aesthetic played a large part in creating every Hitchcock movie.
Hitchcock features a fantastic performance by Anthony Hopkins, who completely inhabits the role. He has perfected Hitchcock's speech pattern, and his silhouette is eerily reminiscent of Hitchcock's peculiar posture and portly frame. Helen Mirren is marvelous as Alma Reville, serving as a strong and sensible voice of reason when faced with Hitchcock's self-aggrandizement. The movie itself is a fun ride, filled with suspenseful moments, winking nods to the camera as Alfred Hitchcock presents the movie to the audience like an episode of his television show, and a wonderful score by Danny Elfman. The supporting cast do a great job, particularly Scarlett Johansson who nails Janet Leigh's bloodcurdling screams during the shower scene and James D'Arcy who seems to be a clone of Anthony Perkins.
The movie also reveals Alfred's genius for marketing - he enhanced the suspense and public anticipation for Psycho by buying up every copy of the novel nationwide, and hyped up the movie premiere in a manner that current studios and promoters would do well to emulate. Overall, Hitchcock is an engaging biopic, offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the making of one of the most celebrated movies in American cinema, and providing more insight into the always mysterious and fascinating world of Alfred Hitchcock.
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